Her Sweet Curse
by EchoLynn
Summary: The war is over, but not without a price. Hermione is left with a lifealtering curse. Remus vowes to help her adjust to this cursed life. With all of the challenges that lie ahead, what does life hold for these two cursed friends?
1. Chapter 1

-1Chapter One: Cursed

It was three years after her graduation that the fateful day had come. The final battle raged all around her as Hermione fought off countless Death Eaters. She had spent those three years training to become an expert dueler, but all the training in the world could not have stopped what happened to her.

It was just after she finally rid the world of Lucius Malfoy that Harry killed Voldemort. She then watched in shock and horror, as Harry and Ron both died killing the man that had haunted the wizarding world for years. Frozen in terror after watching their bodies hit the ground, she didn't notice or hear the movement of Fenrir Greyback behind her.

Pain, horrible pain seared through Hermione's neck and shoulders as she felt those razor sharp teeth puncture her skin. She fell to the ground. Just before the darkness seeped in, Hermione saw the killing curse shine over her killing Greyback. It was then that everything went dark.

_ I At St. Mungo's… /I _

Hermione woke up with a dizzying pain. Her neck was stiff and throbbing. Her moan of discomfort caught the attention of Remus Lupin, who had been pacing at the end of her bed. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Hermione, thank Merlin you're awake. The healers weren't sure you would make it there for a while. I guess the Blood-Replenishing potions are finally starting to work. I'm sorry about the pain. They don't have anything strong enough to get rid of it all, but it will go away eventually." He stopped talking for a moment, his heart breaking at the wince of pain that crossed her face from the throbbing bite. "Are you ok? Is there something I can get you?" he said in a rush.

Hermione squeezed his hand lightly before replying. She cleared her throat, and

with a raspy voice she asked, "What happened to me?"

Remus tried desperately to control himself so as not to cry, he replied, "Just after Harry and Ron were…were killed, Greyback attacked you. I'm so sorry Hermione." Remus couldn't stop the tears that leaked from his eyes as realization sunk in and Hermione broke down. He held on tight to her hand wanting to hold her, but afraid to hurt her.

They sat in the room for some time, with only the sounds of her sobs until she exhausted herself to sleep. It was while Hermione was sleeping that Remus slipped out of the room. As he stepped into the hall, he heard arguing and quickly shut the door, so as not to disturb her.

Remus looked down the hall to see Moody and Snape blocking the path of a man who was clearly a Ministry official. He walked over to them asking, "What is going on here? All this yelling is going to disturb Hermione!" Having silenced their argument, he glared at each one of them in turn, to see who would answer him first. It was the Ministry official who spoke up.

"As I was telling these gentlemen here, it is my job to question Ms. Granger, sothat she can be registered as soon as possible. We will have to take her into custody as soon as the paper work is filled out. Until the Ministry can determine if she is a danger to the general public and," Moody interrupted him.

"Ms. Granger is not dangerous. She has been fighting this war on our side since she was at school! It's not her fault she has been cursed by that bastard, Greyback. You can rest assured that she will be taking the Wolfsbane Potion and will not pose a threat you great slimy git!" Moody barked as his magical eye bore through the official.

The man wasn't daunted by the Auror's behavior as he spat back, "And how are we to make sure that she will even get the potion! Everyone knows that it is extremely difficult to make, not to mention that the majority of potion masters won't bother themselves with helping those monsters!"

In his silky smooth voice he attempted to stave off the two men's murderous replies, "I am Professor of Potions at Hogwarts, I _Sir /I . _I am also closely associated with Ms. Granger and will personally see to it that she gets the potion as needed. Now if you will lead me to your office, I will help you fill out the I _registration /I _forms you will need to appease your horrid law." He grabbed the man's shoulder and steered him down the hall to the fireplaces.

As they walked away, Moody let out a string of curses at the man anyways. He turned to Remus once the horrid ministry official and Snape were out of sight. "The first thing we do after the funerals is tackling that damn law!" he growled. "How is Hermione anyways?"

Remus looked at him sadly. "How would you be if your best friends just died right before you were bitten by a werewolf? She needs time. With the ministry acting the way they are, we will need to keep a close watch on her. We don't want anything to happen that will cause the ministry to think that she needs to be detained." He shook his head with a look of annoyance and worry flashing across his face. "When she is released, it's probably better if she was to come home with me. I have a spare room she can stay in; small as it may be."

Moody nodded his head in agreement. "Well, I'll leave you to her. I need to make sure that Potter and Weasley's bodies are taken care of for the funeral. Arthur set the funerals for the day after tomorrow, but he is so distraught that he may need a hand with the arrangements." he paused for a moment, a sigh of exhaustion escaping him. "Don't let that girl out of your site. Who knows what those bastards at the Ministry are going to do. They're still pissed that we won the war and they didn't! At least Snape is trying to help the situation." He turned to go, slapping Remus lightly on the shoulder. "I'll see you Remus."

Remus didn't answer. As Moody walked away, all he could think of was the day after tomorrow. I _It's the full moon. Hermione won't even be able to go to her friends funerals because she will be experiencing her first full moon. /I _


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter Two: Absorbing

Hermione woke up slowly. The first thing she noticed was that the bite on her neck wasn't throbbing as badly as before. She looked over and saw that Remus was slumped down in a chair, fast asleep next to the bed. She slowly tried to sit up.

Remus, always a light sleeper heard the sheets ruffle. Sitting up and wiping his hand over his face, he smiled lightly at Hermione. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?" he asked, as he got off his chair and helped her sit up.

He was propping her pillows behind her when she replied. "You could get me out of here. I should be helping Molly and Arthur with the… funerals." She said quietly. Remus paled. Now was the time to tell her.

I _This is so hard._ /I he thought. Out load he replied, "Hermione, Arthur has already set the funeral date for the day after tomorrow. I would hate to bug him. He has already dealt with so much, losing Percy and everything. The thing is… well, there's a full moon the day after tomorrow. It will be too risky to go, even during the day. We will need to be secluded until the full moon is over." he said.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. I _Oh Merlin, I can't even go to their funeral. Instead I have to miss it because I've become a monster!I can't think about this now. /I _ she thought. She looked at him, wiping the tears off her face. "Um, where am I going to stay during my… transformation?"

He smiled lightly at her, "Well, I assumed you would be staying with me for a while, since I'm the best person to help you prepare for what your about to face. I do know a little something of what you're going to go through, after all." He winked in an attempt to make the situation not so grim then continued, "I have a spare room that's all yours, if you want it. The house will be locked down, so we will not be able to leave until the transformation is over. Is it ok with you?" he asked her tentatively.

"Are you sure I won't be a problem?" she asked.

"You won't be a problem at all. I'm here to help you however you need it," he said as he grabbed Hermione's hand for reassurance. "I'll be right back. I'm going to ask the Healers if it's ok to get you out of this place." He squeezed her hand before walking out the door to find a Healer.

Hermione sat there, feeling numb and lost. So much had happened; so many good people had parished in the fight against Voldemort. Harry, Ron, her parents…If only her mum and dad were still here. She rememberd that fateful day two years ago.

Her parents on one of those rare shopping trips that she took them on in Diagon Alley. She remembered watching in horror as a group of Death Eaters Apparated into the alley. They attacked with out care, killing 23 people, her parents included. Lucius Malfoy was the one who had done it. I _I'm glad I killed that bloody bastard. At least I avenged my parents._ /I she thought with a hint of satisfaction. But it did little to comfort her as she realized that she would have to face the terrible curse alone.

She sat there trying to remember everything she had read about werewolves. Her life was changed forever; the least she could do is understand everything about her new life. Hermione was jolted out of her thoughts as Remus walked back into the room with the Healer following closely behind.

The Healer smiled at her as she started waving her wand to perform a few tests. When she was done, she addressed Hermione. "Well dear, your blood count is up. I see no reason why you can't go home now. I will give you a few more days' worth of Blood-Replenishing potion to take home with you, along with some Wound-Cleaning potion. You will need to keep on top of the treatment, you understand? With the full moon you will lose a day of healing, so you will be weaker then a normal werewolf after the transformation is complete. I have given Mr. Lupin here all the instructions. You are to stay in bed up until the transformation. You don't want to weaken yourself any more then you will because of the Lycanthropy." The woman handed Remus a bag full the medicines and instructions.

Remus took out his wand and shrunk the bag, slipping it into his pocket. "Well Hermione, lets get you out of here. If it's ok with you, I think I should carry you. It will be easier for you to Apparate with me I think. That way you don't fall to the floor when we arrive at my or our house."

She nodded her head in agreement. She pulled off the sheets covering her legs and reached up to put her arms around his neck as he lifted her out of the bed. As he picked her up, Hermione couldn't help but notice a sublte hint of peppermint. He smelled so wonderful.

Remus couldn't help be feel a little disturbed as he carried Hermione from the room. He couldn't understand why he felt nervous and uncomfortable the second she had wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled at her nervously, hoping she didn't hear the sharp intake of breath he had taken. Remus walked them to the end of the hall, where an Apparation point was. "Are you ready Hermione? Hold on tight."

Her grip tightened and Remus couldn't help but feel like his heart was beating faster than normal when he Apparated.

The Apparateing was a little much for Hermione's weakened and cursed body. Her neck and shoulder started to throb horribly. It was too much pain and seconds after they appeared in his sitting room, she passed out.

I _Poor thing._ /I Remus thought. He carried her up the stairs into the room that would be hers. He was glad that his house elf Snicker had prepared the room, even going so far as putting a vase of flowers on the nightstand. After carefully tucking Hermione in, Remus went downstairs to the sitting room to owl Minerva. Taking out his ancient quill that was fraying horribly, he wrote…

I _Minerva, as soon as you can, could you possibly stop by the Burrow and collect Hermione's things? She has agreed to stay here with me as she adjusts to her new condition. I hate to bother you, but I don't want to ask Ginny or Molly. They have enough to deal with right now. As you probably realize, Hermione and I won't be able to make the Funeral. With the full moon, it's just too dangerous. Especially since this is going to be new to her. Please remind Severus that he needs to make extra Wolfs-bane for Hermione as well. Give our regards to Molly and Arthur. I don't want to leave her by herself right now. She is still weak and in pain. _

_Sincerely, Remus_ /I 

Remus sealed the letter and called for his house-elf, "Snicker!"

A second passed before Snicker appeared in the sitting room. "Snicker, would you please take this letter and have Betsy deliver it when she gets back from hunting mice? It's to go to Minerva McGonagall, okay?"

Snicker bowed as he grabbed the letter from Remus's outstretched hand. "Yes Sir's. Snicker is happy to wait for Betsy, Sir. Do you be needing anything else Sir?" Snicker asked hopefully.

"No, nothing else tonight. Thank you. Please remember to make extra food for breakfast for our houseguest. I'm not sure what she will like. I guess you should make a light breakfast. Toast, porridge and the like."

Smiling and nodding, Snicker replied, "Yes Sir's, I will be remembering that."

Snicker left the room to await Remus's owl, Betsy.

Remus walked over to the liquor cabinet to poor himself a glass of fire whiskey. He sat down in his favorite chair. Taking a sip of his drink, he swallowed it down as he thought about everything that had happened. I _At least the war is over. Poor Hermione._ /I He thought. I _Hermione, How am I suppose to help her?_ /I 

Remus finished his drink and went upstairs to check on Hermione before he went to sleep. He opened the door and walked in as quietly as possible. He looked at her as he lowered his hand to feel her forehead for fever. I _Its unfair for anyone to be cursed like me, much less such a beautiful young woman who should be looking forward to a bright and happy future. If it's the last thing I do, I will help her find happiness despite her curse. She can't end up lonely like me._ /I he thought.

He walked out of the room to go to sleep. Hermione, the last thing on his mind before he fell into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Curse Described

Hermione woke the next morning with a groan. Her shoulder throbbed horribly and it was too bright in the room. Opening her eyes slowly in order to adjust to the blinding light from the windows that reached to the ceiling, she took in her surroundings. She had been to Remus's house before but had only seen the first floor. She couldn't help but admire the simple furnishings. The four-poster bed she was in, along with the nightstands, dresser, armoire, and vanity set were a simple design of beautiful cherry wood. The walls were painted in her favorite color, a dark blue. The curtains over her large window were striped in dark blue and a reddish color that matched the wood furniture. She tried to sit up a little straighter, but she just didn't have the strength. _Great, I can hardly move_. She sat there for a few moments wondering what to do. She didn't know how far away Remus's room was, so calling to get his attention might not work. When she cried out in frustration, the door to the left of her bed opened, and a disheveled-looking Remus stepped into the room.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked.

She tried to smile, hoping he hadn't heard her outburst. "I will be when I can move normally again and the pain is gone." She turned her head so as not to look him in the eyes as she said, "Umm, I don't seem to have any clothes here. I was wondering if you could get my things from the Burrow for me."

"I wrote Minerva last night; she should arrive today with your things," he said, and he waved his wand over her with a non-verbal cleaning spell. She smiled up at him shyly.

"Thank you, Remus. Do you know where my wand is? If I'm to be bedridden, then I'll need it."

Remus frowned and answered, "Hermione, your wand was broken when you passed out after the attack. You obviously can't leave to get a new one right now, but I'll be close at hand if you should need anything," he said with an earnest look. "Not to mention that with the Ministry sniffing around just looking for reasons to imprison any of us that are cursed, it would be unwise to be caught buying a new one just days after being bitten. They would take that as a threat, thinking that you want to cause harm now that you're kind of your own weapon, or some such nonsense. It's happened before," he said. He sat next to her on the bed, helping her to sit up and straightening the pillows.

"Well, I hate to be such a bother to you, but thank you, Remus. I do need your help adjusting to this change. Do you have any books on werewolves? I should read up on everything I need to know before tomorrow," she said, a sad but determined look on her face.

"I have plenty of books on werewolves, but should you want me to, I can tell you more than most of those books can. Reading about it and experiencing it are two completely different things. How about I get us some breakfast and then we can talk about it?" Remus suggested.

"That sounds great, Remus. Thank you," she said with a wan smile.

Remus patted her hand. Then he got up and walked back to the door. He turned around as he opened it, saying, "This is my bedroom, through this door. So I'll be close at hand during the night; if you need me, just holler." He walked out of her room and through his. As he was going down the stairs a bell sounded, announcing that someone had arrived by Floo in his sitting room. He walked into the room just as Minerva was dusting the ashes off of her plaid skirt and jacket, part of the ash landing on Hermione's trunks.

"Minerva, thank you for bringing Hermione's things."

Minerva gave him a tight smile as she replied, "No trouble at all, you know that. Poor Molly and Ginevra are distraught, though. They asked me several times why Hermione wasn't coming home to the Burrow. All I could think to tell them was that she was still recovering from an injury and that you were helping her. They insisted that they would pick her up and bring her home, but I assured them you were taking good care of her. The last thing they need right now is more bad news. But you will undoubtedly be getting a visit from them soon."

Remus sighed as he took a seat, offering her one as well. "How did they react when you told them Hermione wasn't going to be at the funerals?" he asked.

Minerva pursed her lips before replying. "'Upset' would be an understatement. First they panicked, thinking that she was possibly dying. Then, when I was able to finally assure them that she'll be fine, they became too curious for their own good. I told them to give Hermione some time, that she didn't want them to stall the funerals just because she couldn't make it. I tell you, they know something is up. Hermione will need to tell them soon, the poor girl."

Just then, Snicker came into the room. He headed for the stairs, carrying a large tray for two. "Snicker has breakfast for Sir and Miss Hermione, Sir." Snicker didn't wait for a reply but went on up the stairs.

Remus rose and walked through the open double doors to his library that adjoined the sitting room. "If you want to come upstairs," he said to Minerva, "now would be the time. We're going to eat and start discussing what Hermione should expect on the full moon tomorrow," he said, as he gathered a stack of books for Hermione to read.

"No, Remus, I believe I'll leave you now. I have other business to attend to, and I don't wish to disturb Hermione. I'll try to let you know before Molly and Ginerva decide to invade your house looking for answers," she said as she approached the fireplace. With a quick toss of Floo powder, she stepped into the fireplace and said, "The Burrow."

Hermione was deep in thought when she noticed movement at the door. Her mouth dropped open a little when she noticed that it was a house-elf carrying a breakfast tray. _Remus has a house_-_elf? I wonder if the poor thing is free, or if he's paid. _

Snicker set the tray on her vanity table. "Miss Hermione, I is Snicker. Snicker is bringing you breakfast. Not knowing what you eat, Snicker is fixing a little bit of everything," he said with a bow, ending with a big smile. Hermione tried to smile even as she wanted to grind her teeth at the bowing. She had given up on S.P.E.W when school ended, but she knew she would pick up the cause again one day.

She held out her hand to the elf as she said, "Nice to meet you, Snicker. The breakfast looks wonderful, but you didn't need to trouble yourself with fixing so much."

Just then her trunks floated into the room followed by Remus, who held a stack of books in his free hand. "Remus, you never told me you had a house-elf," she said, a little censure in her voice.

He conjured up a little lap-tray for her and replied as he set a plate of food in front of her. Then he conjured a table next to her bed where he placed his own plate, then the books. "Snicker has been with me for years, freed and paid. Don't worry, Hermione, he has never been and will never be mistreated. It didn't take your S.P.E.W to show me how to treat him. Respecting all creatures comes with the territory when you're part creature yourself," he finished with a wry smile. He knew all about her concerns for elfish welfare; it was something he loved about her. She blushed as she started to eat her food.

_So stupid of me to assume the worst, when it's Remus. _"Sorry, Remus. I guess I'm still really touchy on the subject. I still plan to continue with S.P.E.W someday. I was hoping to once the war was finally over, but now I guess I'll have to put it off for a while longer—at least until I adjust to my new…life," Hermione said.

"Well, Hermione, I would be happy to assist you in that fight. You can never have enough people fighting for causes such as house-elf rights—or werewolf rights, for that matter. Moody wants to help bring the Werewolf Registry Laws into question at the Ministry. A man from the Ministry was trying to speak to you the night it happened; he wanted to take you in. Severus distracted him for us after assuring him that you would be getting Wolfsbane potion from him." He took a sip of his coffee before going on. "But we don't need to worry about that right now. Tomorrow will be a long day. We need to start preparing you," he said with a grave look. "Let's eat first and then you can ask me all the questions you can think of."

"Well, the first question that comes to mind, Remus, is, on a scale of one to ten, ten being worst, how painful is the transformation?"

Remus took a moment to think about how to answer. Part of him wanted to make it as easy as possible for her, but he knew that doing so would not benefit this horrible situation. The truth was the best way. "I believe that you've experienced the Cruciatus Curse before, right?" he began. She nodded. She didn't want to think about the time that she had been caught unaware by a Death Eater. "I've experienced that, too. I would compare it to that, except the pain is much different. I think it best to tell you plainly what it feels like, but if you'd rather I didn't…." He left it up to her to decide how much she really wanted to know.

"I'll have to live with this until I die. I want to know what to expect _before_ happens. I think if I was surprised by every new sensation as it came along, it would hurt more. At least if I know, I might be able to prepare myself a bit more. So tell me everything, please."

Remus nodded in agreement and took a deep breath. "The first thing that happens is that all your muscles tense to the point where you can hardly move." He unconsciously grabbed her hand, holding it in the hope of comforting her as he described this horrible curse. "Your eyes feel a sharp pain, and you're blinded for a few moments as your pupils change to those of the werewolf. It's like a ripple effect from your ribs outward, as your bones start to crack and reform. Your skin feels like it's being ripped apart as it stretches to accommodate your new form. Hair sprouts out of your skin, and it feels like thousands of needles trying to escape your body. Your jaw wrenches as it extends and your canine teeth form. Then, at about this point, one huge shock of pain overcomes your body,—then it's over." He took a break for a second to hand her his handkerchief after noticing the tears running slowly from her eyes.

"The pain subsides quickly after that. But then things are new. You feel like you're trapped inside an animal's body. Over time, you gain more of a sense of self, even when you're walking on all fours. You have an increased sense of smell—basically all of your senses are much stronger. Even after you change back to your normal self, after the first transformation those senses hardly diminish at all. The effect of taking the Wolfsbane potion is that although you feel all the effects of the transformation, your own mind is still in control. If you were to not take it, you would only be conscious of the pain for the first half of the transformation. But you'll never need to worry about that." He took a breath and squeezed her hand. Is there anything else you want to know, any other questions you have?" He looked at her downcast face. She was trying to stem the tears that continued to roll down her face.

His heart broke when she lifted her face to look at his. Pain, disbelief, and fear, mostly, were written all over it. But being Hermione, she asked him a logical question. Blushing slightly, she said, "I'm sure I'm correct in assuming that in the midst of the transformation, all of my clothes will be ripped to shreds. I'm wondering what we do about the next morning, when we're ourselves again. I know we're suppose to stay in the same room tomorrow night. But as grateful as I will be for the company, I was wondering what we can do to ensure privacy for getting dressed when we wake up."

Remus regarded her thoughtfully before answering. "I...um…hadn't thought of that. I suspect that will be the least of your worries, when it comes right down to it. But there's an old partition up in the attic I can bring down. All we have to do is make sure that at the end of the night we each fall asleep on our own side of it, with a pile of our own clothes ready for us. That should work, I would think." He cleared his throat as he stood up and started to remove the breakfast tray. "I'll make sure to put the partition in the room we'll be in. These are the books you requested. I'll be downstairs if you need me, or you can just call Snicker." With that he left the room.

Both he and Hermione tried to ignore the unsettling thought of being naked together in the same room after the night of the full moon ended.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four-Hide

Hermione woke with a start a few hours before dawn. She was just hours away from her first transformation. She dreaded it, but at the same time she couldn't wait to get it over with . _How am I to do this? I've lost Harry, Ron, my parents_—_now I must face a life not only without them in it, but as a cursed woman_,she thought to herself, not even bothering to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. She felt the sudden urge to move, perhaps to take a bath. _I need to relax. There's no point now in my obsessing over those I've lost now; they wouldn't want me to dwell on their loss. They'd want me to move on, so that's what I'm going to do. _She had given herself that speech many times before. Hermione climbed slowly out of the bed, but when she moved to stand up, she swayed and had to sit down again.

"Snicker!" she called out, hoping she wouldn't wake Remus. Snicker appeared seconds later.

"Yes, Miss Hermione, what can Snicker be doing for you?" he asked with a smile that said he was happy to be able to please her.

"Would you help me to the bathroom, please, Snicker? In addition, bring me some of my clothes from my trunk over there. I wish to take a bath, but I'm still quite weak. I would greatly appreciate your help," she said, wishing that she didn't have to disturb Snicker. It still rankled her every time she used a house-elf for help. She made a mental note to reward or pay him herself later.

Snicker walked over to the side of the bed and took her hand. "Snicker is happy to help, Miss Hermione. Snicker be making your breakfast while you take your bath; you is needing strength for today. Sir told me about poor Miss Hermione. Snicker wants you to know that he is here to help you with whatever poor Miss needs," he said in a rush as he helped her walk to the bathroom. As they entered the spacious room, Hermione heard Snicker mutter an incantation and was relieved to see steaming water and bubbles instantly appear in the large tub.

"Thank you so much, Snicker. Will you please let me know when Remus is awake? Also let him know where I am if I'm not done with this bath before he wakes up," she said as she let go of Snickers' hand and leaned against the sink.

Snicker bowed out of the bathroom, saying, "Yes Miss Hermione, Snicker will do so." With that, he closed the bathroom door quietly. As Hermione took off her clothes, they suddenly disappeared off the counter. Alarmed at first, she was relieved when a pile of clean clothes appeared in their place, along with a towel and her toiletries. She lowered herself carefully into the hot water. _How can I be enjoying this? That's just wrong! I shouldn't be enjoying anything right now. Harry and Ron are gone, they're being buried today, and I can't even be there._

Hermione sat there crying silently for a time, buried beneath the bubbles, going over the events of the last few days for the umpteenth time. She had nearly fallen asleep when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Yes?" she asked, making sure the bubbles still covered her.

"It is Snicker, Miss Hermione. Snicker is just wanting you to know that Sir is awake and Snicker is already telling Sir where you are. Sir wants to know if you feel fit to eat breakfast downstairs?" Hermione took a second to get a feel for her body. The general fatigue and aches seemed to be gone—all except the bite on her shoulder and neck. _There must be healing potions in these bubbles_, she thought as she cleared her throat to answer.

"Yes, Snicker. I'll join him downstairs. Would you kindly walk with me, just in case?" she said.

"Snicker be waiting for you until you is ready, Miss. It would be Snickers' pleasure to walk with you." Hermione got out of the bath slowly. She got herself dressed and brushed her teeth and her hair, moving carefully as she favored her shoulder, which was still stiff. She walked to the bathroom door and opened it to find Snicker waiting in her bedroom. She frowned as he straightened up her bed.

"Snicker, you don't need to do that. I can my own bed," she said as she walked over and started to help. She was shocked when Snicker quickly took her hand and led her away before she could so much as touch the comforter.

"This is Snicker's house, Miss. Snicker loves the cleaning and taking care of it. Please, Miss, don't take away Snickers' work. Snicker assures Miss that it is his pleasure," he said forcefully as he swept her out of the room. Hermione decided to let it go.

_Snicker is so lucky to have a man like Remus taking care of him_,she thought as they got to the bottom of the stairs. She followed Snicker to the dining room, though having been to Remus's house before she knew where it was. She halted at the door when she saw the layout on the table. The whole table, except where the china was set out, was covered with every kind of breakfast food imaginable. She looked at Remus, who had stood and was holding the chair next to his ready for her. She walked to the chair and sat down, accepting his help in seating her. Looking around, she noticed that the table held place settings for four people, though the table could easily seat twelve. She sat next to Remus, across from place settings at two empty seats. She looked at Remus inquiringly, wondering if he was expecting someone else.

Remus cleared his throat. Gently taking her hand, he said, "Severus and Minerva will be here in a few moments. I thought you might like to see some friendly faces, in light of what will come later today. It will be a long day, and you'll be stuck with me all night. I hope you're okay with that." His tone was solemn, but he wore a light smile when he spoke.

"A little extra company wouldn't be so bad, I guess. Nevertheless, shouldn't Severus and Minerva be with the Weasleys today? They need them more than I do."

"Nonsense, Hermione," said Minerva as she swept into the room just then, closely followed by Severus. "You need people around you as well. Today you'll be missing the funerals and experiencing the curse for the first time." She pursed her lips, about to go on, when Severus spoke up.

"Yes. Minerva is right. You do need us here. We're here to support you for other reasons as well. You need to be informed of the—" he hesitated before going on— "developments at the Ministry regarding those of you who have been cursed by becoming werewolves." Hermione gripped Remus's hand more tightly. _This doesn't sound good_,she thought, and nodded for Severus to continue.

Severus leaned forward and laid a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in front of her, then laced his hands together. Hermione picked up the paper, noticing immediately that it bore tomorrow's date. She raised her eyes to his.

"Severus, please tell me what this is about. I don't want to read it; obviously you know more than what I'd be reading anyway, so please, for my sake, cut to the chase!" she said in a panicked whisper.

"Very well, Hermione. Certain people in the Ministry are quite upset about the way the war ended—namely, now that it's over, it's very apparent to every witch and wizard out there who has any sense at all that the Ministry had no real part in the victory. There are people in the Ministry who will face unemployment if it gets out how they nearly lost the war for us while they were busy fighting to take control of every victory that we, the Order of the Phoenix, made happen." He tapped the paper. "They plan to publish this article tomorrow. It names a number of policies they are going to enact to cover their own arses. They want to point the finger of blame at everyone they can, while taking the credit for the victory. The specific policies that bring Minerva and me here this morning are the newly revised Werewolf Laws." He paused for a moment to let Hermione's mind catch up.

"Okay, Severus, out with it. What are they going to do to us?" she asked finally.

"Starting tomorrow, they plan to detain every known werewolf registered under their current, or should I say old, law. Any others discovered from then on will be detained as well. You could say it's a witch-hunt, except they'll be hunting werewolves. They have a number of facts in hand—which are true as far as the evil werewolves are concerned—stating how dangerous you all are. They will be telling the public that as far as the evidence goes, not one single cursed human was fighting for the right side. They'll you were all turned to evil, and they'll proclaim that the only way to keep everyone safe is to rid the world of all evil." He took a breath again and then said, "It's basically the Wizarding version of Hitler going after Jewish people, with the obvious twist to fit our world."

Hermione stared at him, her mind racing. Finally it slowed down enough for her to ask, "So I take it, then, that you're here to take us into hiding and to say goodbye, right?"

Minerva took a handkerchief out of her pocket to dab her eyes. "Yes, Hermione dear," she said sadly. "Just until we can straighten this out. It's for your and Remus's own good."

Hermione held back a sob as she looked from Minerva to Severus, and finally to Remus. "Remus, we can't even see the Weasleys before we leave, can we?"

"No, Hermione. We can not. We won't even be able to contact them where we're going—only Severus can. He'll be the only one with whom we are in contact. He will bring us the Wolfsbane potion and keep us up to date on the latest news. It will take some time, but we will get past this, I promise. We need to leave in a few hours. But first, let us eat this wonderful breakfast that Snicker's made for us. You can write any letters you want to send to Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys. Then we need to go. We have to set up the safe house and get everything ready before tonight. It's a lot to do," he said, his thumb stroking her hand comfortingly.

She sat there for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Well, let's not let this food go to waste. Let's visit while we can." With that, she started to eat. She didn't know what else she could say, nor did anyone else know what to say to her. Hermione's heart was breaking. They all knew it. Her best friends were gone, and she now had to live a life on the run for who knew how long—and all because she was a victim, nothing more. She would not be able to contact the Weasleys, who were like her second family. How she was to heal from all these horrible things, no one knew. Remus promised himself that he would protect her at all costs.

Hermione sat down at the desk in the library. Everyone else in the house was flying around in their rush to pack what they wanted to take to the safe house. She held the quill in her hand, hovering just underneath where she had written _My Dear Weasleys._ She sat there wracking her brain for what she could write to them. A single tear fell down her cheek as she started the letter.

_My Dear Weasleys,_

_By now, you know that I am gone. You also know what happened to me the day of the final battle. Please don't fret over it. What's done is done. I will get past this enough to live with it, so please don't worry about me. Don't let it get you down, because I sure as hell won't let it get me down, I promise! I hope to be home soon, but for the time being it's safer if I leave. For your own safety, as well as mine, please don't try to contact me. Know that I am safe, for our oldest furry friend will be with me, watching over me. I wish I could be with you all today. I can't be with my family due to circumstances beyond our control. So please, don't worry about me. Take care of yourselves through this difficult time, and know that I am with you in spirit. I hope to see you all again soon. Until then, I love you all. _

_All my love,_

_Hermione — daughter, sister, and friend forever_

Hermione read it over. "Remus, please read this for me. I don't want to give anything away; will this be safe to give them?" He walked over and took the letter. After reading it, he nodded.

"This is fine. You've known more than one furry friend over the years." He was speaking, of course, of the several other werewolves that belonged to the Order. "I'm sure they won't find anything useful in this letter. Are you ready to go?" he asked as he rolled up the letter. He handed it to her to seal with wax. She did so and handed it back, and he sealed it additionally with his wand, something all members of the Order did as a precaution.

"Yes, I'm ready." She walked beside him as they entered the foyer. There was a large pile of luggage, boxes, and a few pieces of furniture by the door. Snicker walked up to the pile of belongings, muttered an incantation, and disappeared with everything to arrange it at the safe house. Minerva and Severus walked up to them, Severus holding an old candlestick.

Minerva hugged Hermione tightly and said, "Don't worry, Hermione. We'll fix this. You'll be home before you know it." Hermione leaned over and kissed the old witch on the cheek.

"Thanks, Minerva, for everything." She handed the letter to her, saying, "Please get this to the Weasleys." Hermione walked over to Remus, who put his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close as Severus stepped up with the old candlestick.

In his silky but reserved tone he said, "Are you are ready, then? We have about a minute left." Snicker appeared back in the foyer just then, tears welling in his eyes.

"Don't you be worrying, Sir. Snicker will take good care of your home. I swears it!"

Then Severus held out the candlestick and Remus and Hermione took hold of it. "Safe house," Severus intoned, and at once they felt the pull at their navels that one experienced when traveling by Portkey.

Then they were gone.

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoining this story... I really hope you like the Hitler-like twist... More updates comeing soon!!!!!!! Please keep up the wonderful reveiws... THANK YOU! hugs


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Moon Room

Hermione held tight to Remus as their feet hit the floor. As they stopped spinning, she looked around the good-sized room where they had landed. It was enormous, owing to the fact that it was actually several rooms in one. She was standing in a large cottage. The main room comprised a kitchen, dining area, sitting room, and a small area with bookshelves and a desk. There were three other doors lead off the main room, one of them very obviously leading to the outside world from which they were hiding. Remus gave her shoulder a squeeze before dropping his arm and taking her hand.

"I'll show you around. I was here earlier setting up the 'moon room', as I like to call it," he said with an attempt at a smile. He pulled her along to the door that was just to the right of the bookcases. "This is the bathroom," he said, showing her the large room with double sinks and a vanity table. He pulled her along to the door on the other side of the bookcases. "And this is the bedroom. There...um...is only one bed, but we'll add another. I'm afraid we're going to have to share this room, though," he said, with a vague wave of his hand toward the area where he would conjure another bed. "And in the closet there, there's another door at the back. It's a steel door with many charms I put on it myself. Through that steel door is where we will stay during the full moon."

Hermione walked to the closet and opened the door. She walked through into the room at the back and stopped in her tracks. This wasn't a room at all—she was in the middle of a forest! Looking around she noticed that there were walls covered with ivy, a stream, trees, and so forth. She was in awe of the talent that had created the realistic light that shone down trough the trees, just as if it were the canopy of a real forest. From the inside of the room, the door looked like it was just another wall covered in ivy, but with the obvious handle. The only thing she could see that didn't fit was the large partition erected next to the door. She whirled around to Remus with questions in her eyes.

He smiled and explained, "Even with Wolfsbane potion, your animal instincts will make you restless if you're cooped up in a house. There is a similar, even larger and more detailed room like this at my house, but this will have to do for now…while we're here. While you're in your werewolf form, this will help to calm you." She gave him a questioning glance, having never liked the idea of camping. He chuckled at her expression. "Don't worry—when you're all furry and walking on all fours, this will be like heaven to you."

She smiled at him. "Well, can I at least have a bed of some sort? I don't think even as a werewolf I'll like sleeping on the ground."

Remus chuckled. He waved his wand and a queen-sized dog bed appeared, nestled between two trees. With another wave of his wand, the partition floated over until it blocked the view of the bed, ensuring her privacy. "There," he said triumphantly. He would do anything to make this easier for her. Severus walked into the moon room behind them now with a bored expression on his face.

"If you two are done _mooning _over your new doggie pad, please come join me in the sitting room. We need to go over a few things before I leave," he said, quickly turning around and sweeping from the room. Remus rolled his eyes at Hermione at Severus's comment and led her back into the main room. They sat on the couch and gave their attention to Severus, who pulled a couple of large vials of Wolfsbane potion out of his pockets. He handed them the vials. "Take these right away."

Remus and Hermione gulped them down hurriedly, grimacing at the bitter taste of the nasty-looking potion. When every drop was gone from both vials, Severus handed another set of vials to Hermione. "Take these tomorrow morning as soon as you wake. Your shoulder's healing will be set back by the transformation." He turned to Remus. "Make sure you tend to her shoulder every morning for the next week with the salves I gave you. It will take a lot to keep her from getting an infection, seeing as the wound has had little time to heal before her transformation tonight." He turned back to Hermione. "I need you both to NOT leave this house under any circumstances. I have put wards all over it and it is Unplottable, but you still need to take precautions. I heard many things when I found out about the werewolf detaining that would make you wish even more than you already do that you'd never been cursed. Trust me, you don't want to risk it." He waited until he got nods of agreement from both them before continuing.

"This house is set up rather uniquely to help you with anything you need. When you want food, all you have to do is sit at the table and think about what you want. Once you decide, it will appear there for you. The same goes for anything else you need—the house will provide it. This makes it easier and safer, and this way you won't have to contact me for every little thing. Now that you're settled, is there anything you'd like to ask me before I go? I won't be back for a week, unless there's an emergency." He nodded toward Remus and said, "Remus has the means to contact me if it is an _emergency_ only."

"Thank you Severus, for everything. I'm sure I'll be just fine here with Remus."

Severus stood then and pulled the candlestick out of his pocket. "I'll leave you to it, then. Good luck tonight, Hermione. Remus." Seconds later, he was gone.

Remus and Hermione sat there for several minutes, the silence becoming uncomfortable. Hermione suddenly got up off the couch and headed toward the bedroom.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Remus asked, concern showing on his face.

"I'm fine, I guess," she said quietly. "I just want to unpack everything before tonight. Don't want to have to worry about it tomorrow when—when I'm recovering," she finished quietly as she left the room. Remus sat there, wondering what he could do for her. He knew she was trying to ignore the fact that any time now the funerals would start. He, too, got up to unpack. He went to the boxes of books that they had brought from his house. With a flick of his wrist, they all flew out of the boxes, hundreds of them, automatically organising themselves in alphabetical order onto the shelves.

He began to hunt for his most informative book on the subject. Even though he had been a werewolf for many years, he thought, _No harm in reading it. I need to put myself in her position. What do I need to remind myself of?_ Having been cursed for so long, the whole process was by now second nature to him. But tonight would be Hermione's first transformation. It would more than likely take a year or two for her to really adjust to it, as he had. Picking up a book titled _The All-Informative Guide to Being Cursed_, he opened it up to the index page. Finding the chapter titled "Basics", he flipped to it and started to read.

Halfway through the chapter, he slammed the book shut, having just read something that he had never thought of until now. _Oh, Merlin!_ he thought. He had read the part where the book briefly mentioned the effect on the male werewolf when it was around a female. It read:

_The Majority of Humans who become Werewolves tend to be extremely independent when they adjust to their new lives. Most never marry or have close personal relationships, due to their own lack of interest and fear. However, it is mostly due to the general hatred of them by others because of their curse. Nevertheless, there are a few who become attracted to members of the opposite sex who are similarly cursed. When this happens, nature will take it course provided the two are near each other during the full moon. Typically, the Alpha Male will claim the Female of his choice. _

_Even if the Female would not normally share the Alpha Male's feelings of attraction when in Human form, the natural instinct of Male dominating Female comes into its own when they are transformed. Because of this instinct for domination displayed by the Males, those Females who are not willing to be claimed must ensure that they are locked away from Males who would try to claim them. The mystery in this event is that this attraction works in one direction only; that is to say, should the Female be attracted to the Male but not vice versa, she will never be able to dominate him and is unable to claim him as her own. _

****Remus sat there, his cheeks turning red, pure embarrassment running through his mind and body. He knew he was attracted to Hermione, even if, as he supposed, she had no idea and did not return his feelings. They were stuck together, with no way to leave. For their own safety, they had to stay in the moon room together. He leaned forward, head between his knees, hands covering his face. _Merlin, what am I going to do? I have to tell her. But how? She has enough to deal with without me trying to shag her while we're transformed!_ He shot up off the couch and went over to the liquor cabinet._ I need a drink if I'm going to do this._ He poured a large goblet full of brandy, gulping down a quarter of it. Then he filled it back up to the rim. He put the bottle back into the cabinet and headed to the bedroom, picking up the book en route. He knocked on the door, opening it and walking in when Hermione said to enter. She was hanging clothes in the closet; turning around, she saw his face and her hands stilled.

"Remus? What's wrong?" she asked, completely unnerved by the look on his face.

"Um, Hermione, I—we need to talk." He went over and sat on the bench at the end of the large bed. She sat down next to him and reached for his hand. She was beginning to feel somewhat frightened at how obviously freaked out he appeared to be. He opened his mouth several times; when nothing came out, he handed her the book, opened it to where he had been reading, and pointed to the paragraph that would forever humiliate him. She sent him an apprehensive glance and then started to read. When she finished, she wondered why he was fretting over some werewolf facts she already knew about, having already read this book.

Then it hit her. _HE'S ATTRACTED TO ME!_ She flew off the bench seat and whirled to face him.

"Remus, you—um—you're attracted to me, right? That's why you showed me that, and now you're freaking out?" she said quietly, shock and a rising blush crossing her features. He could not even make himself look at her, but he nodded to answer yes. "But, I mean, okay," she went on. "The whole domination thing, exactly what does that mean?" A wave of panic threatened to overwhelm her. At the very thought of what she _thought_ it meant, she felt something else as well, though she wasn't certain exactly what it was. She had always had a crush on Remus, and her faced burned as she thought of that now.

He looked at her then as he answered her question. "Honestly, I'm not completely sure, because I've never experienced that aspect of it. I've never been around a female werewolf while I was transformed, much less one I was…attracted to."

Hermione stood there for a moment, then she walked forward and grabbed the goblet, feeling as if she was dying of thirst. She took a long drink, not coughing once. She drank half the glass; then, feeling a little woozy, she sat back down next to him, though perhaps a little further away than before.

"Well, what do you think you'd do?" she asked hesitantly. He sat there for a moment, admiring how well she seemed to be taking the fact that when they transformed, he probably try to dominate her. He started thinking of their options, drawing on the very little he knew from his own experience.

"We could get drunk," he said all of a sudden. She looked at him sideways, humour and questioning in her eyes.

"How will getting sloshed help anything?" she asked, trying not to smile at the thought that this was the solution he had come up with.

"Well, I told you honestly, I don't know what I'll do when it happens. I remember one time I got completely smashed before the moon had risen. Don't remember a thing about that night. From that experience I can tell you that you'll feel the transformation, but the alcohol is still in your system, so you'll still be sloshed. At least if I did something, neither of us would remember," he said offhandedly. _Unless we were to pull out a Pensieve._

She sat for a moment just thinking about everything. Suddenly she grabbed the goblet and walked out of the room. He heard the sound of the goblet being set down on the kitchen counter. She returned to the moon room, trying to hide her rising blush.

"Although the idea of not being able to remember tonight is appealing, it's no use. We'd just have to deal with it the next month, or the one after that. We can't make a habit of hiding from this. I—I would ask you to—to please restrain yourself as much as possible while we're transformed, if that's possible." Remus nodded in agreement; he knew drinking wasn't the answer, and he was glad that she felt the same.

"Now, I'm going to go take a bath. We only have an hour or a little longer before the moon rises." With that, she walked out of the room. She was about to close the bathroom door when Remus caught it with his hand. She looked round at him inquiringly.

He handed her a box and said, "This is for when we transform. I've got into the habit of wearing a robe into the room; that way I don't ruin my clothes, as you mentioned earlier. I had one made for you. It's a magic robe that senses the transformation taking place; it comes undone as you change and simply falls off your body." Hermione took the box from him, smiling her thanks.

She closed the bathroom door then and started to run a bath. Sitting on the edge of the tub while she waited for it to fill, she opened the box and pulled the robe out. Gasping at the beauty of it, she held it up to admire the detail of the fabric. It was dark blue with a pattern of stars all over it. Her initials were embroidered in tiny stars on the upper left-hand side: _H.G. _She smiled at how sweet Remus had been to get this for her. She undressed and slipped into the bath water. As she sat there with the bubbles surrounding her, she wondered what the night ahead would be like.

Her mind went over everything again and again until she felt exhausted. She got out of the tub and dried herself with a towel; then she slipped the robe on and fastened the belt. Looking into the mirror, she was happy to see that it covered her well.

There was a knock on the door, and her nervousness returned full force.

"It's time, Hermione," said Remus.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She-Wolf

She took a breath before she turned the handle to the bathroom door. She tried to smile when Remus held out his hand for her, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She took it, knowing that he was trying to soften the blow; that he was offering his friendship and help as she was being led into her new life. They walked, hands clasped together, as they entered the moon room. Hermione stood for a moment noticing the clouds of the enchanted ceiling; the light of the moon shone brightly behind them, with thousands of twinkling stars. She was startled out of her revelry when she heard the door shut and the magical locks click into place.

Remus cleared his throat, "You might want to go ahead and get behind the partition. It…will happen in a few moments," he said, with a final squeeze of her hand. She nodded before walking to the other side of the partition, standing next to the queen-sized dog bed Remus had conjured for her. She didn't even notice how much she was shaking.

All of a sudden the clouds started to part in the ceiling and she knew that it was upon her. "Remus…" she squeaked out in a tiny, noticeably frightened voice.

"I'm here, Hermione," he said, right before his breath hitched.

It began.

Hermione cried out as her whole body stiffened to the point where she could hardly move. Tears poured down her face in a torrent as she was blinded by the pain of her eyes changing. She tried to draw in air but couldn't; her chest was shot through with pain, her ribs spread and grew. She fell to her knees and heard and felt the bones all over her body cracking, only to reform. Just when she thought the pain couldn't get any worse, she felt the hair erupting from her skin all over her body like the needles Remus had described, and she screamed in agony. Her face lengthened with painful spasms as if someone was trying to rip her jaw off. As the pain gradually subsided, she heard herself whimpering. Her shoulder ached worse then it had before; the bite was angry at her, she thought to herself. Gasping for air, she took a few moments to breathe and collect herself.

As she stood there, she tried to get a feel for her new body. _Four legs. I have four legs, and a tail. _She licked her mouth, feeling the canines. She noticed that she could smell everything very distinctly. A very strong scent wafted into her nose. _Remus. Merlin, he smells good_,she thought as she looked round to see where he was. She turned her newly changed head toward the partition and her eyes locked with those of the Wolf called Remus. _He is beautiful._ She didn't move, just stared at the wolf in front of her. In his wolf form he was a pale brown, with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Even for a wolf she could tell he was fit. She could sense how powerful he was. She could also sense something else coming off him in waves. He was radiating heat. She looked away, not able to stare any more; he was already proving his dominance over her. She stiffened as he padded his way over to her very slowly.

Remus couldn't believe how beautiful Hermione was in wolf form. Her coat was a rich chocolate brown, her eyes a deep grey. He could sense her fear of him, the remains of her pain, as she shook unconsciously. As he stepped over to her, he nudged her head with his own lightly, trying to comfort her. She leaned into him and nudged him back. He sniffed her shoulder, smelling a light trickle of blood. Ever so gently he licked her shoulder. She growled for a second, but he took it as a good sign when she didn't run away or snap at him. He licked her shoulder again, more gently still. When she gave only a light whimper, he continued to lick her shoulder until it was clean of blood.

Hermione couldn't believe the contented feeling that came over her as Remus tended to her shoulder. She could smell his attraction, his want for her. But his compassion even in werewolf form was stronger than those feelings he was holding back. It was then that Hermione noticed how tired and weak she was. She padded over to the dog bed and laid down on her side, her good shoulder beneath her. Remus sniffed at her for a moment before settling down behind her, laying his head on her back. They both fell to sleep within moments.

Remus was the first to wake up the next morning. He knew immediately that he was himself again, having learnt to easily recognise the feeling of his naked human body after all these years. He lifted his head from Hermione's side and looked away quickly as he stood up and walked around the partition to slip on his robe. _Now is not the time to act like a peeping tom! _he thought to himself. He picked up his wand and muttered an incantation to make Hermione's robe appear on her. He walked back around the partition knowing that she was decently covered now. He frowned when he realised she hadn't moved at all, even when the robe slipped itself onto her body. He leaned down and picked her up in his arms, alarmed at her dead weight. Her breathing was extremely light; he knew he had to treat her shoulder right away and give her the potions that would help her recover from the trauma. He carried her through the door that had magically opened when they changed back into human form.

Laying Hermione on the bed, Remus felt her forehead. He hurried out of the room to get the potions. _She's running a fever, this isn't good_, he thought as he rushed back to her. He sat her up a little on the pillows and opened her mouth. One after the other he poured the healing potions into her. He hadn't realised his heart was beating so fast until he noticed that her breathing was growing louder, stronger. He felt her forehead again just as her eyes fluttered open.

She looked up, trying to focus her eyes. Seeing Remus there calmed her as she took in her surroundings. _That's right, last night was the full moon. _She tried to speak, but no sound came out of her mouth. Remus understood and fetched her a glass of water, holding it up to her mouth as he helped her drink it.

When she was done, he lowered the glass and set it on the nightstand, and then sat down next to her. "You scared me this morning. You didn't wake up when I magicked the robe onto you—you were running a fever," he told her, relief evident in his voice. He saw her eyes grow big when he mentioned her robe. He quickly held up his hands. "Don't worry, I looked away the second I woke up. I promise! I magicked the robe onto you from the other side of the partition."

"Thank you, Remus," she said, knowing instantly that he told the truth. She was shocked for a moment, though. _How is it I can _smell_ the truth? _she wondered. "Um…Remus, is your sense of smell strong enough to smell or sense emotions, even when you're in human form?" she asked.

He smiled as he replied, "Yes, it's one of the advantages of being cursed. Our senses can't overpower someone who is accomplished at Legilimency, but it will overpower everyone else.

He noticed her eyes were starting to grow heavy. "Maybe you should rest. It's been a long night, and you should keep your shoulder still anyway. How about I wake you for lunch?"

"That would be fine. I am really tired. Thank you, Remus, for being there with me last night. I mean, I know you had to be, but I knew you wanted to be there. That means a lot to me," she said, smiling at him shyly.

"I promised you I'd help you through this. That's what I'll do, Hermione. Now you get some rest." Her eyes were already closed, the hint of a smile on her face after his sweet and comforting words. Without thinking he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Blushing furiously at his own actions, he got up off the bed and reached for an afghan that lay at her feet. Unfolding it, he laid it across her. He stood there for a few moments, watching her sleep.

When her breathing was slow and even, he left the room, grabbing a clean pair of clothes on his way out, intending to take a shower. He ate a quick breakfast and afterward picked out an interesting book, settling in to read in a chair next to her bed. Try as he might to concentrate on his book, he finally gave up after realising he was reading the same sentence over and over. He couldn't get his mind off the events of last night.

He didn't think he could ever forget the pain he'd heard in Hermione's cries or her screams as she transformed last night. It was enough to make his own transformation feel like the first time. His heart ached for her, knowing how it had taken years for his own transformations to be less painful. It took time to train one's mind enough, to let one's body relax. He had found out the hard way that if you weren't ready to accept the curse in your heart, your emotional battle against the un-merciful curse would make the transformation that much more painful. He had learned to accept his curse, therefore his mind was able to properly relax his body, lessening the pain.

But last night it was as if he had never learned that control. He knew he had to teach Hermione to accept the pain, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. The curse was the hardest thing he had ever tried to overcome. _If anyone can use their mind to overcome such resentment and resistance, it's Hermione_, he thought to himself. _Maybe with my help she'll achieve acceptance much sooner than I did. She _is_ the smartest witch of her age..._

The next few days passed by quickly. Remus was happy to see Hermione's shoulder healing, even if her heart still had a ways to go. As the trauma from her first full moon passed away from their minds, both of them became consumed with thoughts of the intimate moments they had spent together as werewolves. They both avoided looking at each- other more and more as they thought about the tender way he had nudged her head, and how she had nudged right back. Hermione got goosebumps when she thought of the gentle licks he'd given her shoulder.

Remus tried desperately to ignore the sense of over-protectiveness that swelled in him each time he looked at her. He was unable to ignore it that Sunday evening, though, when Severus popped in for his first weekly visit. They all talked briefly about the news of the outside world and about how the Weasleys were coping with the loss of Ron.

It hit Remus forcefully when Severus sat down next to Hermione to check her shoulder. He felt the wolf inside of him stir as he watched Severus's fingers trace the wound, examining it thoroughly. Severus was about to comment on Remus's fine job in tending to the wound when he noticed the fire that burnt in the other man's eyes.

He casually pulled the collar of Hermione's shirt back over her shoulder before saying, "Remus, I'd like to speak with you, if I may." He rose from the couch and said to Hermione, "The shoulder is healing nicely. It should be fully healed before the next full moon, but I suggest you still take it easy." Hermione thanked him politely before heading off to her bedroom to give the men a moment to speak in private.

Severus just stared at Remus for a few moments before finally saying what was on his mind. "I take it from your reaction that you have some sort of _feelings_ for Hermione. I can't remember the last time I saw that kind of over-protective look in someone's eyes." Remus flushed when he heard Severus's comment.

Trying to ignore his own flushed face he said, "I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that it looked a tad inappropriate, the way you were touching her."

Severus snorted before replying, "You know very well—or at least you should—that I was just examining her. If I were you, I should be careful to remember the facts of the situation Remus. Hermione is twenty years younger than you. She's been through enough without having to deal with a randy- old werewolf hitting on her. Not to mention the fact that you're both in danger right now. Any kind of _puppy love _would be dangerous; it would cloud your mind and distract you too much," he said, the silkiness of his voice only succeeding in making Remus even more furious.

Remus walked forward slowly, stopping mere inches from Severus's face. Anger swelled up inside him, a kind of anger he hadn't felt in years. He ignored the feeling that it was partly because he knew Severus might be right. "You're way out of line, Severus! I was just concerned for her. It _is _my job to watch out for her, after all. And how dare you suggest that I would—that we would—" He stopped to take a breath, searching for the right words.

Before he could continue ranting, Severus held up his hand. "Very well. I'll leave you to your delusions. But I must say this, since Moody himself is not here. _Constant Vigilance!" _he warned, the sound of it rolling off his tongue quietly. "Ignoring the fact that you're attracted to her will only get you in trouble. Deal with it, Remus, and then let it go. If you truly want to watch out for her, you'd be wise to first protect her from yourself." Before Remus could respond, Severus pulled the Portkey from his pocket and vanished.

Neither of them knew that Hermione had heard every word they'd said through the open door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Attraction and Feelings**

_In the bedroom..._

Hermione had closed the door as quickly and quietly as she could after Severus's last remark. She paced the room, her mind racing over the conversation she had overheard. _It shouldn't surprise me, should it? I mean, I knew before the full moon that Remus was attracted to me. I get that he _did_ dominate me that night. But this is wrong! I can't be thinking this...I... _

She sat down when she realised how fruitless it was to argue with herself. She knew what was really bothering her, and try as she might, she couldn't ignore the disappointment she'd felt when Remus and Severus both said he shouldn't follow through with his feelings. _What would Ron and Harry say? Ron would think I was crazy for dating someone old enough to be my father. Harry_—_Harry would probably be angry and uncomfortable with me being involved with the only link he had left to his parents. _She sighed, lying back on the bed. _Think_,_ Hermione! There's got to be a way around this. I...I know I want him. After all that we've been through, _we deserve this!

She spent the next few moments gathering her courage. She knew she had to discuss this with Remus. She had to tell him how she felt. She was putting the words together in her mind, trying to figure out the best way to broach this subject, when she suddenly heard the crash of glass hitting something. She rushed out the bedroom, hoping nothing was wrong, that Remus wasn't hurt.

_In the main room..._

Remus sat down and leaned his head against the back of the couch. With his eyes closed, he tried to calm down. _Face it, old man. Severus is right. I need to face the facts; I am..._attracted_...to her. I can't let a stupid, worthless attraction get in the way of her safety and comfort. But—_why_ is it worthless? Oh, right. She's young enough to be my daughter. Not to mention she'd never be interested in a broken-down old man like me, anyway. _What_ am I saying? _he argued with himself.

With a frustrated growl, he stood up and made his way to the liquor cabinet. He was about to pour himself a drink when he suddenly flung the bottle against the magically locked front door. He stood there, not realising that Hermione had rushed out of the room after hearing the startling sound of the bottle shattering.

"Remus, are you okay?"

He chuckled before answering, "I'm fine, really. Just had a disagreement with myself. I decided that getting sloshed wasn't the way to figure it out. That's all." He was facing the liquor cabinet still, refusing to look her, knowing that his emotions were written all over his face. "It's about me, really. I mean, you too. Its just that I'm so confused, after a discussion I had with Severus before he left, and I..."

She interrupted him, hoping to spare him the anguish that was so evident in his voice. "You mean about the attraction...and the feelings you have for me?" When he looked at her, she felt a need to explain. "I—I heard you through the door. I forgot to close it when I left you two alone after he examined my shoulder. I've obviously known about the attraction since the full moon, but as for the feelings you have for me, I had no idea," she said quietly.

"I don't know what you must think of me. I'm sorry, Hermione. You've been through enough. I...don't want to hurt you. I would never hurt you," he said. There was deep pleading laced with pain in his voice.

"Remus, I understand—I think—how you must feel. I admit I'm scared, and overwhelmed. So much has happened; it's all flashing before my eyes. Whatever 'this' is, I couldn't rush it if I wanted to. But you need to know that I've had feelings for you since I met you in my third year. Yes, I admit that back then it was a schoolgirl crush. But I'm not a schoolgirl any more, Remus. I may be young, but my heart tells me those feelings I thought long gone aren't gone at all. Instead, they've grown. Into what, I honestly don't know," she said quietly, taking a breath to continue. "Whatever 'this' is, we need to confront it like the adults we are. We're going to be spending a great deal of time together, and avoiding it won'thelp either of us."

He was awed, first by her verbal confession of her feelings for him, but also by her wisdom. "I would like that, discussing it with you. I don't want to rush anything, either. But more importantly, we still need to be cautious. We're safe for the moment, but people are out there, hunting us down. We can't afford to let anything..._personal_...distract us," he said quietly.

"I agree, we need to be careful. But I believe we're both capable of handling more than all of this. We've been through worse at times, when the war was still going on. Right now, we're safe. And I'd feel better knowing we've talked openly in case—in case something did happen to us," she said, sitting down on the couch. Remus walked around the couch and sat down a few inches away from her.

Taking her hand in his, he said, "Okay, let's discuss this, then. I guess since you've told me how you've felt something for me for such a long time, I should tell you about my feelings." He took a second to gather his thoughts before continuing. "I've always been intrigued by you, ever since I met you in your third year. Over the rest of your years at Hogwarts, I came to admire your thirst for knowledge, your love for all things academic. I have also always admired your loyalty to those you loved; your devotion to the house-elves and other magical creatures only intensified those feelings. It wasn't until the day of your graduation that I realised it was more then admiration I felt for your intelligence, loyalty, and caring. I tried to ignore it, because you're so much younger then me. But my feelings for you grew stronger as I watched you face the war head-on, and how you overcame so much. I, too, am unsure of how strong my feelings are. It's all very new to me. I've never felt this way for anyone," he finished nervously.

They both sat quietly for a few moments, going over all that they had learnt—wondering what to say next, what to do next. Suddenly, Hermione thought of tea and sighed as it appeared on the low table in front of them. She smiled shyly at him as she reached for the pot to pour them cups of tea, figuring they needed something to distract them from the uncomfortable silence that had overtaken them.

He accepted a cup from her with a vague feeling of relief. "Well, I was thinking," he said, "that we both know each other pretty well after all these years, but not on a close...basis, I guess is the word. Seeing as it seems prudent to take this slowly, let's do just that. Get to know each other on a closer, more personal level. We have a lot of time on our hands to see where this leads. Let's just let it take its own course, so to speak," he finished in a calm voice.

She smiled at him as she lowered her teacup. "I agree. That sounds like a perfect plan to me." She thought for a moment, wondering how one moved on to 'letting it take its own course'. "Do you like to play board games at all?" she wondered aloud.

He smiled as he replied, "Yes, I do. I prefer a certain Muggle game that's popular in America. It's called Battleship."

"Oh, I love that game! My parents bought me tons of those kinds of board games growing up. They especially loved the American games like Battleship, Monopoly, Clue, Game of Life, and the like. Would you like to play a game?"

"You're on," he said with a smile as he set down his cup of tea. "But I must tell you, Miss Hermione, that I'm quite good at this game. I used to play against Sirius and he was quite brutal about it—mostly because he could hardly ever best me," he said with a self-assured chuckle.

He thought hard about the game, and suddenly it appeared on the table next to the tea tray. He smiled as he opened the box to get out the two game boards. "It's a good thing it isn't that electronic version. With all the magic protecting this place, it would probably go haywire, like it would at Hogwarts." She laughed at him as she took her game board and opened it up, positioning her pieces where she felt they wouldn't be suspected.

They played the game for a few hours; loud squeals issued from Hermione whenever she won a game, and Remus' face was wreathed in triumphant smirks when he won. By the end of the night they were tied, four to four. Remus, of course, was excited to finally be playing someone who was a challenge.

They decided that since it was late, they should turn in. Both were nervous as they took turns changing into their nightclothes in the bathroom. They both knew that the conversation they had finally had earlier opened the door in their minds to their physical attraction even further.

After an awkward but necessarily brief hug, Hermione and Remus settled into their beds, both facing in opposite directions. A quiet goodnight was said by each. They could almost feel each other across the room. That night was the first uneasy night they both had falling asleep.

They spent the rest of the week getting to know each other. They grew comfortable with each other, playing numerous games and talking about everything from books to history, family, magical creature rights, careers, and life in general. It was all interrupted when Sunday arrived, along with Severus for his second visit.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Another Turn for the Worse

They had been expecting him for a couple of hours; both were becoming increasingly worried by the minute. It was around ten o'clock that Severus finally arrived by Portkey with a grim, irritated look on his face. He wasted no time in speaking, the look on his face perfectly matching the words he spoke.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news to share. I was helping Minerva and Moody with some damage control—that is why I'm late getting word to you. The Weasley family has been called in by the Ministry for questioning. Their home was searched while they were being questioned and the letter was found that you wrote to them, Hermione. The Ministry considered the letter to be sufficient evidence that the Weasleys either know of your location themselves, or know someone who does. They've given Arthur the sack, stating that he's a traitor to the Ministry. I believe they'll be posting an article about it in tomorrow's paper."

He stopped when he noticed that Hermione was shaking badly. Remus glared at Severus, daring him to comment as Remus sat down and placed his arm protectively around Hermione's shoulder. Severus looked at him for a moment before smirking at him. _The wolf clearly doesn't want to listen to reason, it seems, _Severus thought to himself.

Meanwhile Hermione's thoughts were scrambling. "This is all my fault. I was too stupid to watch my back at the battle. If only I'd seen that monster coming, _none_ of this would have happened!" she spat, more to herself than anyone else.

Remus's arm tightened around her shoulder, pulling her closer. He was about to say something to comfort her when Severus decided to speak instead.

"Come now, Hermione, really. Nothing will be accomplished by blaming yourself. Although now that you bring it up, why _didn't_ you see Greyback coming at you?" he said, with a curiosity that he had been holding back for what he thought to be too long. Hearing Severus's question, Hermione flashed back to that night only weeks ago….

_It was just after she had finally rid the world of Lucius Malfoy that Harry killed Voldemort. She then watched in shock and horror as Harry and Ron both died killing the man that had haunted the wizarding world for years. Frozen in terror after watching their bodies hit the ground, she didn't notice or hear the stealthy movement of Fenrir Greyback behind her._

Remus launched himself off the couch. "How dare you question her! You know very well that she was distracted by seeing Harry and Ron fall. Any number of Order members that were present did the same thing. She just happened to be close to Greyback at the time. It's not her fault!" he said with a malevolent glare shining in his eyes, a warning growl in his voice.

Snorting at Remus, Severus said, "Maybe a good number of Order members that were 'lacking' watched them fall. Those of us who knew better than to be distracted were still containing the situation. We've been at war for too long for anyone to let something like that distract us from the safety of others. She should have respected their sacrifice enough to stay alert and finish off the rest of the Death Eaters. Instead she was careless and got bitten. Now, thanks to that event, we're wasting time hiding her when we should be tracking down the last of the Death Eaters that escaped! Arthur losing his job is another unfortunate consequence of her lack of focus. He was a great help to us with those inside the Ministry who are 'dirty'. Now we've lost a valuable asset because she had to go and write some sappy letter to say goodbye!" He spat the last words at her. Hermione started to shake even more, tears pouring down her face at his accusations.

Remus's heart broke as he heard her break down, but that didn't stop him from whipping his wand out and using it to slam Severus against the wall, held up as if by invisible hands a few feet from the floor. A wandless spell had Severus's wand flying out of his pocket, while he was too busy trying to loosen the invisible bonds that were choking him.

Remus spoke calmly as he slowly approached the struggling Severus. "Now I know that you've always hated Harry, Ron, and Hermione—that you've taken personal insults that had nothing to even do with them, but with their parents, and continued to blame them for it anyway. But it's going to stop right here! It's not Hermione's fault that Greyback bit her; it was unfortunate, but not her fault. The Ministry are the ones you should be wasting your time scolding, not her. You gave me the reports—you know what they're doing to wizards and witches like us!"

Remus took a breath for a second, then continued on with a noticeable growl in his voice. "Now I'm going to let you down from here. And the second I do, I'll give you long enough to crawl over to your wand and Portkey out of here before I really get mad. Don't come here again. Send Moody or Minerva. This house will provide us with the ingredients we need for the Wolfsbane potion, and Hermione is skilled enough to make it for us. I don't want to see you again until you've apologised for your conduct this evening, so I'm betting I won't be seeing you for a long time. Now _go!_" At the word "go", Severus fell to the floor, crawled to his wand, and pulled the Portkey out of his pocket.

"You've made a serious mistake, Lupin!" he croaked out, and then he was gone.

Remus turned around to see that Hermione was crying even harder. He walked over to her and sat down, pulling her into his arms. "Hermione, it's okay. It _wasn't_ your fault. Severus was just being the same bloody bastard he's always been. Arthur losing his job is not your fault. We knew it was going to happen anyway; he was a known member of the Order. It was bound to happen eventually," he said in an attempt to calm her down.

"Remus, he was right, though. None of this would have happened if I'd paid attention to my surroundings," she said through her tears.

"Hermione, look at me." When she finally looked at him he continued, wiping away the tears on her cheeks, his thumb lightly stroking her face. "Even if you'd never been bitten, that would change nothing, and you know it. The Order would still have to work hard at hiding me, and all the other Werewolves in the Order besides. Not to mention the countless other innocents who are friends to those in the Order itself. The Ministry still would have sacked Arthur. They're working against the side of good right now. None of this is your fault. Severus is just bitter because of his own past mistakes and misfortunes." Hermione smiled mistily at him.

"Thank you, Remus. I should have known better than to let him get to me. It's just so hard. I don't know how I'd get through any of this without you. It means a lot that you're here for me," she said as she continued to stare into his eyes, basking in the care and comfort she saw there.

Without thinking, she leaned into him slowly, looking first at his lips then back into his eyes before she closed her own and kissed him. For a moment he did nothing, the shock of what she was doing stopping him from even breathing, but then he melted into the kiss, both of them opening their lips. As they both hesitantly deepened the kiss, they wrapped they arms around each other. What seemed like an eternity flew by before they broke away, both of them gasping for air.

They looked into each other's eyes as their breathing returned to normal. Neither of them spoke, afraid of ruining the moment, or going too far. Remus finally took the initiative and sat back on the couch, pulling her close, her head resting on his shoulder. They didn't speak, but they didn't need to. They sat there for an hour, just being there together. Finally Hermione started to doze off, and Remus suggested that they go to bed.

Hermione smiled, "Yes, I think that's a good idea. I'll go change first, if you don't mind. I still need to straighten my bed." As Hermione changed into her pajama pants and tank top, she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and how her heart raced at the feelings that seemed to pour off his lips in waves. She shook her head at her own foolishness and left the bathroom. She smiled at Remus shyly as she passed him to go straighten up her room before going to sleep.

Hermione was just finishing tucking in the blanket when she noticed him staring at her from the doorway. She stopped what she was doing, walked over to him, and grabbed his hand. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" She flushed as she realised how that sounded before stammering out, "I mean, just hold me, nothing else." She looked away, embarrassed by what she'd said.

Remus put his finger under her chin, drawing her eyes back to his own, before replying. "I would love nothing more than to just hold you, Hermione." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, pointedly pulling away before it could grow into more. He walked them to the bed and then he climbed in, lying down. He never let go of her hand, pulling her down with him. She laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist. He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her closer, whispering, "_Nox_." They both fell asleep with smiles on their face that night, content to never leave each other's arms again.

Severus paced his living room, thinking of the night's events. Such hatred as he had never felt before pulsed through his mind as he thought of Remus' assault on him. _How dare that wolf insult and threaten me! And over that stupid little chit! _

The truth that he didn't want to admit to himself was that he had always hated Hermione because she reminded him of Lily Evans. He had been in love with Lily, madly in love with her, in fact. He had hated James Potter, convinced that he had used a love potion on Lily—one that, moreover, had been invented by Severus himself. He was convinced that when James had stolen his copy of _Advanced Potions_, along with Severus' own Levicorpus spell James had also got the recipe for the love potion. Because when Severus finally got the book back, that page was missing—the page on which had been written a potion that had taken him a little over a year to make. He had always been certain that with the potion, James had tricked Lily into thinking that she loved him instead of Severus.

Severus paced for over an hour, seething over every ill thing that had ever happened to him, every foul deed—imagined or otherwise—that had ever been done to him. Finally a little piece of him snapped. He decided then and there that Remus and Hermione would have to pay for what they had done to him. He sat down and conjured a glass of Firewhiskey. As he sipped it, he stared into the fire, wondering how he could get his revenge.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Severus's Plan/Plan's

The next morning Severus Apparated to Order headquarters with a smirk on his face and a plan set firmly in his mind. _Let's see how the Order takes this wonderful news! _he thought to himself. He entered the main sitting room to find most of the Order present, discussing strategies and sharing updates from their assignments. He walked over to the corner of the room where Moody, Minerva, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat. He cleared his throat to gather their attention as he sat down. Minerva smiled lightly at him before asking, "So, Severus, how is Hermione? How did they handle the new developments?"

"Well, last night didn't go so smoothly," he replied. "I informed them of the _developments,_ as you call them. The resulting conversation was unpleasant, to say the least. As far as that goes, I prefer not to go into detail. Let's just say that from now on I believe it would be better if one of you took over the weekly visits." Before giving them a chance to really question him, he went on with his planned speech, smiling with anticipation (on the inside of course) of how they would take the _wonderful news._

"I have something to share with you that I should have shared a few weeks ago. I had hoped to talk some sense into Remus, but it appears that plan didn't work. There is no delicate way to explain this, so I'll just be blunt. I believe there is a relationship developing between Remus and Hermione." He tried not to smile as he saw the looks of shock on their faces. _Oh, this is so much fun!_ he thought with satisfaction.

Mr. Weasley voiced his curiosity before his wife could respond, fearful of what her response might be. "What has led you to believe there is a relationship developing between them?"

Still containing his smirk, Severus replied, "Well, I believe you all know the tell-tale signs when a Werewolf is attracted to another Werewolf, seeing as we've worked with many of them through the years." He waited to continue until he saw them nod in acknowledgement. "Well, I first noticed it just after the full moon, when I arrived to check Hermione's shoulder after her transformation. To put it mildly, Remus was rather protective of her; he quite took exception to my examining her shoulder. When I confronted him about my suspicions, he firmly denied it, of course. But the signs of such an attraction were quite noticeable, and _real, _no matter how strongly he continues to deny the truth to me, much less himself."

Moody spoke up this time. "Remus doesn't seem the type to fall for the younger ones. Though I guess she would be his type, brainy as she is. I think he's always had a thing for the bushy-haired ones. Reckon it's the wolf side of him," he said with a surprising bit of humour in his voice. The comment even managed to bring a smile to Minerva's face.

Severus frowned, not having expected such a calm and accepting response. Before he could try and turn the conversation around to a more _negative_ angle, Mrs. Weasley decided to put in her two cents.

"Well, I have to say I'm a bit shocked. Severus, what exactly made you think there was a relationship, besides Remus's reaction? I mean, you said you sensed,_ feelings_—what feelings did you sense that led you to believe Hermione felt the same way as Remus?" Severus was the one who was shocked this time. He had expected his greatest support to come from her, mother-hen as she was. But to only hear curiosity from her was a bit much for him.

_This is _so_ not going the way I thought it would! They should be upset! _he thought before he answered. "When I informed them of your family being questioned, and Arthur losing his job, she became quite upset. Remus comforted her, and she was quite receptive to his holding her close. You could see it plainly written on their faces. And when Remus and I had our disagreement, it was again very _evident_ that Remus cared for her. He was extremely _protective, _to say the least."

Minerva looked at him for a moment before asking, "Severus, you keep tiptoeing around this disagreement. Since you feel it necessary to relinquish this assignment to one of us because of it, I believe you should explain the exact reason why this is necessary." She had a stern, unyielding look on her face. Growing more frustrated by the moment at the apparent failure of his plan, he responded to her with a very Severus-like gruffness in his voice.

"When I shared the developments with them, Hermione became upset. She started saying that it was all her fault. Since she was so adamant in that belief, I felt a need to ask her why she blamed herself. She said that if she had only paid attention to her surroundings, she would not have been bitten, and none of this would have happened. Honestly, there is some merit to her self-blame. She _should _have watched her back instead of being distracted. Because she was bitten, we've had to spend precious time hiding her. And the letter she wrote to your family, Arthur, certainly denotes a lack of sense, if you ask me. When I shared my opinion and asked her why she hadn't paid attention at such a crucial moment, Remus got extremely defensive on her behalf. He actually attacked me. I left after he was done threatening me and had released me from the magical choke-hold he had on me—against the wall, two feet above the floor, I might add."

Severus was proved wrong, having thought he was quite justified in his actions. The outpouring of negativity concerning his actions that came out all at once from all four of them shocked him.

Moody said, "You slimy Dungeon bat, treating her like that."

Minerva said, "Severus, really! That was completely uncalled for!"

Arthur said, "That was very wrong of you, indeed."

Molly said, "How dare you treat that poor girl so horribly! You're an adult, for Merlin's sake! You should be old enough by now to know how to treat people in such delicate situations!" Her comment was by far the loudest of them all.

Severus immediately became defensive. "You all have to admit that it was very irresponsible for her to let down her guard at such a crucial moment! And writing that letter was beyond stupid! Someone has to open these dunderheads' eyes. How do you expect them to learn from their mistakes?" he said hotly. _How dare they turn this on me_

"Severus, I've been a colleague of yours for many years now. I would never have thought you would verbally attack a young witch or wizard that had been so deeply scarred. Haven't all the painful lessons in your own life affected your judgment at all?"

"Yes, shame on you for hurting her!" Molly scolded.

"I don't blame Remus for threatening and attacking you. I would've done the same myself if I had a girl!" Moody growled at him.

"Yes, Severus, I agree with them. You should not have acted in such a fashion. She is a fellow member of the Order. That was beyond bad form, kicking her while she was down, and over something that was _not_ her fault. I don't know about you three, but I think Severus should be suspended from his duties for a while. This type of behaviour is certainly not helping anything. I also don't see why you seem to disapprove of a relationship between the two of them, Severus. Granted, there is an age difference, but it makes complete sense, really. They're a perfect match for each other. What do you guys have to say about this?" Arthur asked the other three members, his disapproving eyes never leaving Severus's face.

Minerva spoke up first. "Severus, I agree with Arthur, but not about suspension. We still need your help, regardless of your actions. I suggest you take on an assignment that lacks contact with others; reconnaissance would be a wise choice in this situation." The very stern and disapproving way she said that made the muscle in his cheek twitch.

Moody pulled his wand out and flicked it toward Severus. A journal flew to him, landing rather hard against his chest. Severus was seethed with indignation, but he opened the journal to see it contents. _How dare they treat me like this_was the comment that he screamed to himself.

"There, take my assignment. Just don't muck that one up, too!" Moody growled. With one last glare, Severus got up from the couch and left the room, forcing himself not to explode.

_That was not supposed to go that way! I'll show them, _he remarked to himself, already thinking of his next move.

Meanwhile Moody, Minerva, and the Weasleys sat around discussing the developing relationship between Remus and Hermione, each one expressing joy at the thought of two such wounded people finding happiness through shared pain. "Well, I guess I should be the one to take over for the bloody git," Moody stated, a growl in his voice when he said "git".

"I agree. I hate to sound nosy, but—would you let us know what things 'look' like between them? Hopefully it's a sure thing; the last thing we need is two extremely emotional Werewolfs who fight. Also, please convey our happiness with their newfound affections," Minerva said with a smile.

"Will do. I'm curious as well to how this will play out. I'd better get going. They should be informed that we've settled the matter, that I will be the one checking on them."

With that, Moody walked out, wondering what he could say to tease them.

Severus slammed the front door on his way into his house. Pacing back and forth, he went over his plan, wondering when and where it had gone wrong. _No matter. _He looked at the journal that contained the information about the subject he was to follow. It was the man who was heading up the search for all Werewolves. He smiled to himself and conjured a glass of Firewhiskey. As he drank it down, a new plan for revenge came together in his mind. _I've__ gone about this all wrong. Even if the __others__had __objected to their relationship, that __wouldn't__ have been enough to really __a__venge me. __I'll__ have to make sure they suffer greatly. It's what they deserve! _he thought with a growing smile on his face. A truly evil and nasty plan formed right then. One could only imagine how horrible revenge could be when you were dealing with the twisted, unstable mind of Severus Snape.

Remus and Hermione were sitting together, snuggled up close and discussing some book, when Moody appeared suddenly by Portkey. They looked up in shock at his surprise visit. Never one for subtlety, Moody stated right away, "So, we hear that you two are dating. Congratulations. For what it's worth, Minerva and the Weasleys are happy for you, too. Now to business. That bloody bastard Snape has been reassigned, so I'll be the one to communicate with you."

Remus and Hermione both looked shocked. They had talked over how the rest of the Order would react when told they were together, but they never expected this. "You mean Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't upset about this?" Hermione asked, the thought of Molly Weasley accepting the situation beyond her understanding or belief.

"We all agree we're happy for you, even Molly. You guys deserve one another, and you're both quite perfect for each other."

Remus frowned. "Did that bastard also tell you how he treated Hermione? Did you suspend him?" he asked forcefully.

Moody chuckled as he replied, "Snape was right, you do have that protectiveness for her, it's clearly in the eyes. That's a good thing, though. This situation isn't over yet, though you won't be dealing with Snape again, I can promise you that. We switched jobs; he'll be on an assignment that will keep him from having to talk to anyone, except when he's giving us a report."

"Thank you for that. It will be a relief not having to deal with him," Hermione said quietly.

They went on to discuss the news of the Werewolf imprisonment situation. Hermione shuddered at the descriptions of the treatment that others like her and Remus were getting from the Ministry when they were captured. Moody didn't mention the camp that they had found out about only a few days ago. One camp was known as the worst of the four that existed for the Ministry's use against the Werewolves. Moody had been truly disturbed when he himself had seen firsthand the camp for all Werewolves that were closely connected, if not actually part of the Order. It was in plain terms a "Death Camp". Murder without mercy. It was a shock to learn that the Ministry was taking this thing so far. The cruelty involved was too much to contemplate. He could only hope for Remus' and Hermione's sakes that they found a way to stop the Ministry, and soon.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter... Please read and review! hugs (Update comeing soon...)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten - A Little Harmless Flirting**

The next morning Hermione was awakened by Remus, as he carefully tried to pull his arm out from under her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you, but my arm is asleep," he said quietly.

She rolled over and grabbed his arm, rubbing it to help the circulation return. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cut off the circulation," she replied with a shy smile.

He melted on the inside from the combination of the touche of her hands as she rubbed his arm and her smile that took his breath away. He stilled her hands and started to rise from the bed. _She'll__ be the death of me, _he thought as he quickly left the room, wishing to hide the evidence of her effect on him. _A shower. A very cold shower, _was his last thought as he left the room without a word, fearing that if she asked him what was wrong, he would have to turn around.

Hermione looked curiously at him as he swept so quickly from the room, wondering if she'd done something. She sat there for a few moments, thinking of what she could have done, when it dawned on her what had happened. Instantly her cheeks flushed and she giggled, delightd that she had unnerved him. She quickly got up herself. She started to take off her pajamas, but decided the last thing she needed to do was have him walk in while she was changing. She grabbed her wand, and with a simple wave she was fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a smoky blue tank top. She didn't bother with shoes, being more comfortable when she walked around barefooted. With another wave of her wand the bed was made, and she left the room to go and summon breakfast.

She smiled even more when she heard the shower flowing, blushing yet again when she noticed the lack of steam rising from under the door as it tended to do when they took warm showers. She sat at the table and thought of what they should have for breakfast. Instantly a tray filled with bacon, eggs, pancakes, and all the other necessities appeared, along with a note and two bottles. She reached for the note first.

_Here is this month's Wolfsbane potion for you. Don't forget you__'ll__ have to make it yourself after this. There should be a book on the shelves with the ingredients and instructions. If you think __you'll__ have any problems making it correctly, let us know and __we'll__ find a way to acquire it for you—though from your grades in school I'm more than confident that you can manage, Hermione. Just sit at the table and think of the supplies and ingredients you need, and __they'll__ appear for you. Good luck. _

_Hope all is well,_

_Minerva_

She smiled, happy that Minerva was so confident that she could accomplish such a difficult potion. Also she was excited for the challenge, to really put her mind back to work after so long. She ate her breakfast quickly, impatient to get started on the potion. As she finished the last bite on her plate, Remus walked out of the bathroom, in mid-wave of his wand, drying his hair.

He cleared his throat, still uncomfortable with what had happened earlier. He looked at her and was very glad that he was still cold from the shower. Her outfit was very appealing to him. "So, um…what's for breakfast?" he asked as he sat down to eat.

She looked up, having just realised he was there, and fought to control the giggle that wanted to come out of her mouth, then she noticed his nervousness. "Bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Oh, and Minerva sent along our dose of Wolfsbane for the upcoming moon," she said with a smile.

He noticed how happy she sounded as she mentioned their next transformation, and wondered what made her so happy about it. He was about to question her when she jumped up from her seat and went to the bookshelves. He filled his plate, waiting until she was done surveying the books before questioning her. He didn't get the chance, because as soon as she picked the book she was obviously looking for, she rushed back over to the table and smiled at him as she told him what was so great.

"Minerva wishes for me to make our Wolfsbane potion from now on! She said she trusts that I can manage it! I just can't wait to get started. It's been so long since I was able to really put my mind to work on something!" she said happily as she opened a book called _Aconitum. _She scanned the pages for the instructions for the Wolfsbane potion. "I'll need your help preparing the ingredients. But I should be able to make it myself." She took out a piece of parchment and a quill and started jotting down the ingredients and the instructions. When she was done, she closed the book and sat for a moment, thinking of all that she would need. She smiled when a cauldron, a paring knife, and all of the ingredients appeared before her.

He smiled as he watched her wave her wand to create a sturdy table, where she placed the cauldron over a blue fire. She waved her wand again and water appeared in the cauldron; she started to slice and measure the ingredients. Remus ate quickly and joined her after Transfiguring his own paring knife. She didn't even look at him as she waved her wand, giving him his own list of very detailed and strict instructions on how to prepare his list of ingredients. They worked in silence for a while, Remus glanced at her every so often. He couldn't help but notice how adorable she was when she nibbled on her bottom lip in concentration. He cleared his throat, wishing to start up a conversation before his mind went to places that would make him need another cold shower. "So, how long will it take to make the potion?"

"Hmm?" was her only response.

He chuckled as he asked again, "I asked how long it will take to make this potion." This time she did look up at him briefly.

"The book says it takes two days to mature after you mix the ingredients. The process for mixing the ingredients takes three hours after the water is at the correct temperature. Why?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if I'd be able to pull you away from the board games today. We need to try something else; I think we're at a standstill with Battleship—this tie just won't break," he said with a hint of grumpyness in his tone.

She smiled as she said, "Well, I agree. We should have plenty of time to play some sort of game. What did you have in mind?"

He took a second to think that one over before he smiled deviously. "Have you ever heard of a game called 'Twister'?"

She laughed as she answered. "Now, I might be wrong, but I'm guessing this is a game you and Sirius used to play, am I right? It sounds very 'Marauder-ish' to me."

"Well, we—uh—didn't play alone," he said with a chuckle. "We usually played this game with girls. Usually it would be me, Sirius, James, Lily, and whatever dates Sirius and I had at the time. We made some fun weekends out of it."

"I suspected as much. I'm game if you are, though you should know I'm very limber. Have you ever heard of yoga?" Hermione asked with a smile.

He swallowed, having hardly heard anything past the word 'limber'. "No, I can't say that I have," he replied.

"Well, I used to practice it during the summers. It's a type of exercise my mum discovered. It improves your posture, among other things. Some kind of Hindu practice, I believe."

He tried not to smile so widely as he replied, "Well, I'd love to see the effects of said Hindu practice." He couldn't hold back his big smile when she giggled at his response.

"All right, Remus. After we finish with adding the ingredients, you're on!" she replied. _What's the harm in a little flirting?_ she thought to herself.

It was later that evening, after they'd had dinner, that Remus thought of the game and it appeared on the coffee table. He cleared the floor with a wave of his wand and started to unfold the Twister mat. "How about we play for stakes on this one?" he asked with a wolfish grin. He had changed into a pair of modern muggle cargo shorts and a tee-shirt, both have been summoned by Hermione after she had suggested he'd have a better chance if he wore less restrictive clothing.

"What kind of stakes?" she asked as she pulled the majority of her bushy brown hair into a bun, with a few stray strands still hanging loose.

"Okay. Le'ts say that the first person each round to fall has to drink a shot of Firewhiskey. If a person falls and knocks the other person down as well, then the one at fault has to take two shots," he said, feeling younger and more playful then he had in years. Just setting out the mat reminded him of his carefree days with the rest of the Mauraders. _Sirius would be happy that I'm loosening up for a change._

She giggled at his suggestion, then waved her wand. On the table next to the couch appeared two shot glasses and a bottle of Firewhiskey. "You're on. But you should know, I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to Firewhiskey. I imagine Harry shared with you what happened the night of our graduation from Hogwarts."

"Umm, actually, I know firsthand. Most of you were smashed that night. I actually carried you to your room at Grimauld Place," he replied, remembering the night well.

She laughed, "I always wondered how I managed to get back to my room. I even asked Harry and the others; they didn't remember how they got to their own rooms, either." She smiled at him as he finished positioning the mat. "One more thing we need, just in case." She thought for a moment, and instantly two vials appeared next to the shot glasses. When he raised his eyebrows, she answered his unspoken question: "Hangover potions."

"Good thinking. So…ladies first," he said as he waved a hand at the mat.

**here is the layout, for those who can't remember what a Twister mat looks like**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

**Red Blue Green Yellow**

"Left foot, Yellow," she said. He put his left foot in the yellow circle nearest to him.

"Right foot, Blue," he replied. She stepped into a blue circle.

"Right foot, Green," she said. He stepped into a green circle.

They went on a few more moves, both of them laughing at how silly the game was, both trying not to stare at the positions they were each in at that point. Remus was bent backward, straining to stay up. Hermione was bent over, stretched, but managing quite well. Remus glanced briefly at her tank top, which was rather revealing at the moment since she was bent over, and suddenly he fell onto his rear. They both stood up, laughing, as she poured him a shot of Firewhisky.

"What happened? I thought you had it!" she teased as she handed him the shot.

He downed it before replying, "You had it easy, but my—umm—hand slipped." He averted his eyes as they each took a side of the mat for another round. This round got much more interesting. They both ended up twisted together, and finally Hermione slipped, knocking Remus down as she fell on top of him. They both burst out laughing as he helped her up. He poured her two shots and handed her the first one.

"You're a cruel man, Remus. You called that circle on purpose," she said as she downed her first shot, coughing at the burning in her throat. "I'd forgot how horrible that stuff was going down," she said as she reached for the second shot. Hermione felt warmth spread through her body as the liquor went down. Already the effects were starting to relax her even more.

"You okay, Hermione?" he asked.

She smirked at him before replying, "I'm fine."

They went on to play seven more rounds, before the effects of the Firewhiskey had them both swaying a bit. Remus had both of his feet separated by two yellow circles, and both of his hands separated by three blue ones; he was faceing the ground, or rather, Hermione. Hermione was straining to stay up, leaning back on her hands and feet, much like Remus had been that first round. Suddenly her right elbow gave, and when her rear hit the mat, her foot knocked Remus down on top of her. Both of them were laughing hysterically before they calmed down enough to notice that he was still lying on top of her.

Without thinking about it she leaned up and kissed him. She pulled back when she noticed he wasn't kissing her back. When she looked into his eyes she saw that they were glowing with some kind of emotion she didn't recognise. "I'm sorry…I didn't meant to…well, I did… but I shouldn't have," she rambled on until he leaned down and kissed her this time. Their lips battled each other in a desperate kiss, filled with the pent-up attraction they both had been trying to ignore. At least, they'd been trying to ignore the physical part. Finally they both broke away, gasping for breath. They just looked at each other, enjoying the moment.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy, Hermione. But if I don't stop right here, I won't be able to later," he said, still breathing hard. She took a moment to consider what he'd said.

"You're right, we should stop," she replied. She started to rise, and he took her hand and helped her up. Remus grabbed his wand, and with a simple wave the mat was folded up and put back into its box. Hermione reached for the two hangover potions and handed a vial to Remus.

She smiled as she said, "Bottoms up." They both drank the potion. "I guess we should get some sleep. I need to check on the Wolfsbane potion first and then get a shower. I'll be in shortly," she said. She had started to walk away when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Thanks for the game, Hermione. I had fun," he said quietly; he kissed her once more and then headed for the bedroom. She smiled to herself as she checked the potion. She still couldn't get rid of the small smile as she took her shower and readied for bed. She fell asleep with that same smile, when she got into bed only to be pulled into his arms, even as he slept. Both of them were content in each other's arms as they slept on, happy that they had been able to enjoy the day without worrying for once.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter as much as I did. There was a few reviews I got, suggesting I write Hermione as drunk lol...so this is close to it. And DON'T WORRY! THIS FIC IS NOT OVER!!!! This chapter was the very-important-calm-before-the-storm! Tee Hee Hee... Update comeing soon! hugs Remember to READ AND REVIEW!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter is definitely rated MATURE, just in case. That means 18 and over. You have been warned!**

**CHAPTER Eleven **

**The Letter**

Severus stood patiently in the corner of the office, having slipped in when the "subject's" secretary came in. No one had noticed him, for he was under a Disillusionment charm as well as a Silencio spell he'd aimed at himself before he set off for the Ministry.

The man he was charged with following was a very high-up official, a Mr. Alby Ronan. It was, of course, not widely known that besides his official position, he was the Head of the Werewolf Imprisonment office. He assigned people to hunt down all werewolves and to place them in one of the three camps the Ministry had recently constructed. Well—a little of this was common knowledge, since the Ministry was campaigning about it in the papers, trying to deceive the public into supporting them and turning against the Order. No one but the Ministry and the Order knew of the special fourth camp.

Severus had arrived early that morning, hoping he wouldn't miss the owl that was to deliver a letter. He smiled as the morning wave of owls swept through the window right on time, landing wherever they could on Mr. Ronan's desk. The grumpy man yelled, "Carmen? Bring in the Owl Pouch, and tip these bloody things so I can get back to work!" The plump woman who name was Carmen, rushed into the rooms and started placing knuts and sickles into the little pouches on all of their legs. As they flew off, she started stacking the letters neatly, pausing at the green envelope with black writing.

"Sir? This letter doesn't specify who it's from. Should I put it in the bulk pile for you?" she asked, knowing that he was very picky about such things. He took the letter from her hand and looked it over curiously.

"Never you mind, I'll deal with it. Go and finish those reports. I want them handed over to the Minister by three. He's expecting them," he said dismissively. He turned the envelope over and opened the seal that had a double S mark on it. He pulled the parchment from the envelope, and was quite shocked at what he read.

_Mr. Ronan, _

_I have some information __that __I know you deeply desire. But of course, I would expect a few small favours in return for information about a couple of Werewolves, specifically where they can be located. The favours I ask in return are simple. I have learned of the open position for Head Unspeakable, being very interested in all things that have to do with potions. I am rather talented in potions and would dearly love to take over that position, which is a very high honour. Being one's own boss, while accomplishing something merely by working on something __one__ love__s__, appeals to me greatly._

_There would be conditions __upon my __handing over the whereabouts of the two werewolves you seek the most, of course. I know of your "special camp" for those your Ministry really despise. If I __were__ to hand them over, that is _not_ where they should be kept. I will hand them over if, and _only_ if, you agree to give me the Head Unspeakable job, _and_ you agree to put these two in one of the three other camps. Obviously, I know a lot about the fourth __camp__, and if you were to place them there, I would know, and you would have a lot of trouble on your hands when the wizarding world found out what your Ministry was up to._

_So I will give you a couple of weeks to think all of this over. It's a win-win deal for us both really, when you think of it. You get to place __the __two werewolves you want most in a camp, just not the death camp. (No need to be less frank, if you ask me.) Plus you would acquire a great mind to head up the Unspeakables. _

_I'll__ give you two weeks to think it over. If you agree, that __would__ give you a day to plan your capture of the two you seek, since the day after is a full moon. Think carefully. It has been a pleasure._

_SS_

Mr. Ronan sat back in his chair, re-reading the letter several times. Severus smiled to himself as he watched the excitement cross the man's features. _This is easier than I thought it would be,_ thought Severus, as he watched the man rush over to his fireplace and Floo to the Minister's office. Severus couldn't follow, of course, but he had no doubt that everything would work perfectly according to his plan. He would get away from all the little brats and do some real potions work for once. And Remus and Hermione would pay for what they had done to him, or so he convinced himself. He didn't regret adding the bit to his demands about keeping Remus and Hermione out of the death camp. It wouldn't lessen his plans for revenge, for he thought revenge would be sweeter if they remained in captivity for the rest of their lives, instead of being given death sentences.

* * *

Mr. Ronan knocked on the Minister's double doors opposite the fireplace he had just emerged from. The doors opened and Mr. Ronan walked in and sat down opposite the Minister of Magic, Fredrick Almeida.

"Freddy, I had to see you. I just got a letter from someone who may help us find those two monsters from the Order!" he said excitedly, as he handed the letter to his old friend, or what people in politics could call an old friend.

The Minister read the letter before asking, "Do you know who 'SS' is, Alby? I don't want to trust a respectable job like Head Unspeakable to someone I don't know. Though I would love to get my hands on those two."

"No, I don't know who SS is, but I can try and find out. It shouldn't matter, anyway. This 'SS' person will be getting back to me in two weeks. That's plenty of time to set a trap!" Alby said happily.

"Ah, I see what you mean, my old friend. Brilliant idea!" Freddy said, a devious smile growing on his face. "But you'll need lots of help if you're going to capture this informer after he hands over their location. I suggest you go to Knockturn Alley and hire a few wizards to help you. If he's really as good at potions as he says he is, he'll be a challenge to capture. Make sure you run all of your final plans by me, Alby. Just do it outside the office. I don't want any of this to go down in any records. Get the location, capture this 'SS', and dispose of him somehow. That's one detail I don't want knowledge of—deniability, you know." With that, he waved his hand, effectively ending their brief conversation.

* * *

Hermione woke up before Remus and smiled as she snuggled closer to him. She knew he was still asleep. She had her head on his chest and could hear his even breaths. She slowly lifted her head so that she could gaze at him, remembering the night before. She hadn't enjoyed herself like that in a long time. And playing Twister with Remus was more than just fun, it was sensual. She didn't doubt the same feeling had run through his own mind throughout the night. She remembered at the end of the last game, when they had kissed passionately. She was touched when he warned her fairly that if they didn't stop, he wouldn't be able to. The truth was, she hadn't wanted to stop. She only stopped because she thought he wanted to, and indeed he had told her that.

Suddenly she had the urge to kiss him again. She reached a hand up and pushed his shaggy bangs away from his eyes, wanting to wake him. When he didn't stir, she decided to just go for it. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, putting enough pressure on them that he should waken. And waken he did, though he didn't open his eyes. He slowly started kissing her back, and as he woke further, he rolled them over until he was lying on her side, half on top of her, his right leg resting between both of hers. He pulled back from the kiss to gaze at her. "That's a nice way to wake up. You should do that more often. Much better than waking because of arms that are asleep," he said with a smile on his face.

Hermione blushed. "Well, I just couldn't stop thinking about last night, and I had the urge to kiss you. I'm glad I did," she said almost shyly. Remus ran his finger across her lip, looking from them to her eyes.

"Again, I must warn you. If I don't get up and leave this room this instant, I won't be able to stop," he said huskily.

As she reached her hand up to his neck, she replied, "I don't want you to stop, Remus. I want you to kiss me." She pulled on his neck, and sighed happily as their lips met again. They kissed feverishly, not able to get enough of each other. Their hands roamed each other's bodies.

Remus pulled away from her long enough to look deeply in her eyes, "You're sure about this, Hermione? So much has happened in such a short time. I don't want to rush you, or myself. I don't want to hurt you." She could see the little bit of worry in his eyes, the compassion.

A tear slipped from her eye as she replied, "Remus, you're right. Many things have happened in a short time. But I really don't regret them. It brought me to you, to this moment. I…love you, Remus. Despite all that's happened, and the short time we've been together. Or maybe because of it all. But I've loved you for a long time."

Remus fought the tear that came to his own eye after hearing such sweet words. "Are we crazy or just lucky?" he asked with a chuckle. She looked at him with humour in her eyes, wondering what he meant exactly. "I mean, are we crazy or just lucky to be in love so quickly? I'd say a little of both." He smiled at the giggle she gave him. Suddenly she rolled them both over, so that she was lying on top of him.

She gave him a shy smile as she leaned down and kissed him again, but pulled back quickly. She didn't look away from him as she reached for his wand. "I...um…don't know the spell we need, so that we don't have an unexpected gift in nine months..." she said nervously, a blush rising steadily up her neck and face. Remus' breath hitched a little when she said that, realising that she was serious. His eyes never left hers as he took the wand from her hand and sat them both up, with her sitting on his thighs. He pointed his wand at her stomach and whispered the words, "_Aversus-Preigne._"Hermione felt a rush of energy pass through her midsection, but it was not unpleasant.

He then pointed his wand at them both before whispering, "_Revelare-Nudus,_"smiling a wolfish smile when she squealed; their clothes had just vanished. He pulled her closer as he rolled back on top of her. He didn't give her time to berate him for surprising her like that; he just kissed her again, both of them sighing in happiness.

They spent the morning just loving each other, and reveling in the wonderment of how things could be good, even though they were both cursed.

* * *

For the rest of the week they spent every waking moment next to each other. They finished the Wolfsbane potion, having made enough to last four months. They played a few more games of Twister in the evenings, though they could never quite finish the game because they kept tackling each other, then proceeded to have very long snog-fests.

They also just cuddled together on the couch, reading books to each other and discussing them afterwards. They even had a little fight over Jane Austin's _Pride and Prejudice, _when they couldn't agree about who was the prideful one and who was the prejudiced one between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. They got over their little fight when Remus set the book down and kissed her to stop the argument. She couldn't argue with that.

On Saturday they stayed with each other all day, doing everything together, even showering together. They wanted to not be all over each other the next day, when Moody showed up. Yes, their friends in the Order knew about them, but they didn't want to maul each other in front of their friends. Their plan didn't work out as they planned it, though. When Minerva, Moody, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny popped into the room late that afternoon, they were presented with an eyeful. Remus was lying on top of Hermione with his hand up her shirt, both of them clinging to each other, their lips glued together.

They were so focused on each other that they missed the _pop!_ of their visitors' arrival. But they didn't miss the "Hem, hem" that came from all five of their friends at once.

_**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I laughed quite a few times while writing it. Slowly but surely the storm is brewing, people…. tee hee hee Please remember to Read and Review! hugs**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - Questions**

Remus was so badly startled when he heard everyone's "_Hem, Hem_" that he fell off the couch. Hermione quickly straightened her shirt as she sat up, knowing she could do nothing about the blush that came over her features.

Ginny grinned cheekily at them. "Well, if I'd known you guys were getting busy, I wouldn't have insisted on visiting when I heard the good news about you both."

Molly turned an embarrassed glare toward her only daughter, exclaiming, "Ginevra Weasley! What a thing to say!" Though Molly was trying not to laugh with the others at Ginny's statement.

Ginny rushed over to Hermione and gave her a big hug. "I've missed you so much! I couldn't believe it when I heard you were bitten, and then they hid you away before I could come and see you!" Ginny squealed, happy to see her friend again after all that had happened.

"I missed you too, Ginny, but I'm okay, really. I've been more worried about you—how are you doing with…everything?" Hermione asked, fighting tears at the thought of her friend losing her brother and boyfriend at the same time.

Remus smiled as he watched Hermione reunite with her dear friend, ignoring the curious looks he was getting from the others. Arthur, finally taking pity on Remus, clapped him on the shoulder. "Good to see you, friend. I take it you two are, um, getting along quite well here despite the isolation of this place?" he asked, only realising what he'd said after he said it, and blushing himself.

Moody spoke up. "Sure seems like they're getting along just fine to me."

Minerva glared at Moody before saying, "We didn't want to risk contacting you, but Ginny wouldn't hear of that when she found out about the two of you. We thought it best to come with her, just in case." They watched Hermione lead Ginny off to show her the moon room.

When they had left, Minerva sat down in one of the armchairs and looked at Remus. "I want to apologise for Severus's attitude toward you both, Remus. Moody told us about his behaviour, and it was wrong of him to be like that." The others sat down as well.

"You don't need to apologise for him, Minerva. After all these years he still has a grudge against me, since I was friends with Sirius and James. Doesn't surprise me at all. But enough of him—what's going on with the Ministry? Have you guys made any progress putting a stop to their prison camps?" he asked, hope filling his voice.

Moody replied, "No, Severus hasn't reported anything more then I ever found out. Our appeals have been sidetracked, but we expected those morons to stoop that low. They even replaced our contacts at the _Daily Prophet_, so we don't have any forewarning for anything new they try to deceive the public with. We're trying to gather enough evidence of what they're up to that we can campaign to get a new Minister elected. That's our only shot for stopping them, but it's going to take some time," he replied gruffly.

Remus shook his head, having expected as much. Molly cleared her throat before saying, "Remus, I'm happy for the both of you, but don't you think you should wait until you get married to, umm, get too close?"

Arthur put a hand on her arm, "Molly, dear, that's none of our business."

Remus cleared his own throat, hoping his blush had receded. He answered, "I assure you my intentions toward Hermione are honourable. I wouldn't take advantage, I promise you." _How can I take advantage when __she's__ the one who attacked me first? _he thought with an inward grin. He looked toward the bedroom where Hermione and Ginny were before waving his wand and casting a _Silencio_ toward the bedroom door. "In fact, I plan on asking her to marry me. I've been thinking about it constantly—I was just hoping we'd be free to go home before I did that. But if we're going to be here a long time, it's pointless to wait. I want to make sure she'll say yes, but I guess I can ask her sometime soon. Maybe after the next full moon," he said, now really only speaking to himself as he thought it over again. "Moody, you remember where my safe is, in my room at home?" When Moody nodded his head Remus went on, "Well, after the next full moon, can you bring me the ring box that's in there? It was my mother's. Just don't let her see it when you pass it off to me."

Moody agreed to bring it to him, even as Arthur tried to get Molly to stop crying, insisting that she would ruin Remus's surprise if Hermione walked in and wanted to know what she was crying about. The four friends and Order members continued chatting for a while while they waited for Ginny and Hermione to finish with their private visit.

* * *

As soon as Hermione led Ginny into the moon room and Ginny finished exclaiming how wonderful the room was, she pounced on Hermione with several questions at once. "Okay, spill it. How did you find out he liked you? When did you realise you felt the same way? What was your first kiss like? Have you guys gone further than what we saw on the couch? Are you getting married? Can I be your maid of honour?"

Hermione laughed at the barrage of questions before she said, "Calm down, Gin." She conjured a couple of chairs and sat down to answer Ginny's inquisition. "Actually, I overheard him and Severus talking—that's how I found out about his feelings for me. I've known deep down for a while that I liked him—well, I love him, but I didn't admit it until we had a conversation after Severus left. Our first kiss was amazing. That's none of your business! And if he does ask me to marry him, of course you'll be my maid of honour!" she said with a brilliant smile.

"Oh come on—it's me, Ginny, you can spill! Was it romantic?" Ginny persisted.

"Everything with Remus is romantic," Hermione answered evasively. "I never knew this was what it would feel like, but he takes my breath away with a single look. It's amazing, Gin," she said, a dreamy look dawning on her face. Ginny smiled excitedly, and they both started talking about Hermione's wedding, which Ginny insisted would happen. Both of them seemed to have agreed without words to by-pass talk of Harry and Ron.

An hour later Ginny tearfully said goodbye and left with her parents, Moody, and Minerva. As soon as they were gone, Remus swept Hermione into his arms and with a cheeky grin he asked, "Now, where were we?" She squealed happily as he pulled her down on the couch again, as if they had never been interrupted.

* * *

Severus paid close attention as he followed Alby Ronan to a very dodgy inn located in Knockturn Alley. He slipped into the room and found a corner where his silenced and Disillusioned body would go unnoticed as long as no one bumped into him. He hoped he was not about to witness some tryst. He stiffened and held his wand ready as he watched Alby answer the knock at the door, and watched curiously when he admitted six men Severus had never seen around Alby's office at the Ministry; he knew that, as seedy as the men looked, they most likely wouldn't be welcome in a place like that. _That explains __why we're in __this dump,_ he thought.

"So," Alby said as he addressed the men. "I take it you gentlemen agree to my terms for this job?" He grinned evilly when they all said yes. He pulled out six pouches of what was obviously coins, since they were clanking noisily. "Okay, here's the first payment. You'll receive the second when our job is done. Remember our terms, though: this 'SS' must be captured as soon as he divulges the whereabouts of the two we've been looking for. I don't want any screwups, or you'll not receive another Knut. Also, if any of you are willing to help in the capture of the two he'll be surrendering to us, there will be a bonus if it's done successfully. Any questions?"

Severus seethed as he listened to the man's plans to double-cross him. As he stomped down his urge to kill the man there on the spot, a new plan formed in his mind. He wouldn't let this slip of a man double-cross him. Now all he had to do was get close enough to the Minister himself.

Severus slipped out of the room after Alby's meeting with his thugs had ended. Severus now had to see the Minister of Magic on urgent business.

* * *

Severus carried a vial of Polyjuice potion with him everywhere he went, among the many other potions he carried at all times. On his first day of watching Alby Ronan he had secured several of the man's hairs, just in case of occasions such as this. He put one of Alby's hairs in a phial of the disgusting potion and, before he had time to dwell on its awfulness too much, quickly swallowed it all. He braced himself against the wall that surrounded the Minister's house as he transformed into the spitting image of Alby Ronan. As soon as he felt the last tremors of the change stop, he went through the gate and up the drive to Minister of Magic Fredrick Almeida's front door. His arms were behind him, as if he was clasping his own hands in a posture of waiting, but he was really holding his wand ready. When the Minister opened the door himself, "Alby" asked to speak with him privately. Fredrick led "Alby" into his private study, warding the door after it was closed.

"So, Alby, are we set for the full moon with 'SS'? Have you made all the arrangements?" the Minister asked as he sat down behind his desk. He looked up to see Alby with his wand pointed at his face and exclaimed, "Now see here! What do you think you're doing?"

Severus tightened his grip on his wand as he answered, "_Imperio!_" When a glazed look fell over the Minister's eyes, Severus said, "You will follow my instructions. Do you understand me?"

The Minister nodded his head. "You will conduct business as usual. You will thank Alby Ronan for helping you plot to capture 'SS' and the werewolves. The night of the capture, you will take this potion." He placed a vial of Polyjuice potion containing one of his own hairs on the desk and continued, "Then transform into SS. You will not put up a fight when you are captured. You will tell Mr. Ronan before you are captured that the werewolves he seeks are located at this address." Severus wrote down the address of Remus's hideout and handed it to the Minister who, securely enshrouded in the mental fog of the Imperius Curse, nodded dutifully. Then Severus gave a few last orders and departed the Minister's house.

Severus was angry at Remus and Hermione, but he wouldn't go so far as to have them killed. He wanted them captured, yes; but he knew now that no matter what, they would go to the death camp now if he didn't remove that option. He was determined to destroy the death camp so they could not be taken there. They deserved a lifetime of torture and hard labour, not the instant relief of death. He had a plan in his mind; now he had to convince the Order to help him take the death camp down.

**A/N: I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! hugs**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13 - Death Camp**

* * *

Severus held his breath as he pointed his own wand at his arm, casting a slicing spell. He had already sliced his chest and legs. He wanted to look the part when he revealed the camp to the Order. He checked to make sure his cuts were not too deep. Satisfied that he looked dishevelled enough, he Apparated to the Order's Headquarters.

The moment that Severus Apparated into the HQ's kitchen, he fell to the floor. Members of the Order swarmed around him, asking him what was wrong, what had happened. They gingerly flipped him over and Molly started healing the obvious wounds. Severus "stirred" as he felt the pain subsiding. "Stop touching me!" he said grouchily as he made a show of getting up slowly, as if he was in really serious pain. Molly was pulled back by Arthur as Moody pulled up a chair for Severus, and Minerva handed Severus a Pain-Relieving Potion. Severus turned up his nose at the offered bottle. "Thank you, Minerva, but I have my own potions. Nothing against you, of course…" he replied nastily as he opened his coat and reached for his own Pain-Relieving Potion.

Moody pierced him with his wandering eye and said, "So get on with it already, man. Where were you and what happened?"

Severus made a show of taking the "potion". (The bottle actually contained Firewhisky.) "I was following Alby. He finally went to one of the camps, the Death Camp. I was in the process of taking down names and noting the layout of the place when I was discovered. These people make our old precautions during the war seem like mere child's play. I don't know yet what spell wards they're using, but they're some I've never seen before. Definitely something out of the Department of Mysteries. Now that I know how close I can get, it should only take me another day to get us the details we need, then we can take out the camp. I do know we need to hurry, though. During my brief hour of observation, they brought in twelve _prisoners. _Twenty minutes after they entered, you could see the smoke from a large fire. From the smell that drifted my way, they weren't burning a pile of leaves or trash…."

It was too much for Molly. She started to cry and Arthur wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her down. Everyone had sad or angry looks on their faces as Severus's words sank in.

* * *

_It's all going according to my plan, _thought Severus as he quietly observed the Order. They were planning their attack against the Death Camp. All seemed to be working out perfectly for his devious plans. The only thing that concerned him was that he couldn't watch over everyone. He had watched suspiciously as Arthur and Minerva received an owl earlier, and left the room without sharing the letter's contents.

* * *

Remus and Hermione greeted Arthur and Minerva as soon as they arrived. "Thanks for coming so quickly. I just had to speak with you after we received your letter about the planned attack on the camp. I know a way to make sure this attack is made public, so the wizarding world can see what the Ministry is doing!" Hermione spilled out excitedly.

Arthur and Minerva sat down on the couch and Minerva, intrigued, waved for her to continue.

Hermione pulled out her wand and Accioed a glass jar that had a twig inside of it. She muttered a spell to take the sound barrier off of the jar and set it on the table. "Do you all remember Rita Skeeter?" she asked, trying to control a laugh at the looks on their faces as they looked more closely at the jar to see the beetle with the unique markings around its eyes.

"Hermione Granger! Are you holding her hostage? What is the meaning of this?" Minerva asked, anger and concern for Hermione radiating at her.

Hermione held up her hands as she started to defend herself with an explanation. "With everything that's happened, I hesitated to bring this up. There were more important things to discuss and take care of. I guess I really need to explain this situation before I tell you how it will actually benefit us. A week before the final battle I was on a recon mission when I stumbled across her. I was Disillusioned in a corner of a back room at the Leaky Cauldron when I overheard her conspiring with the Minister himself. You all know that at that time we were all putting the pieces in place for the final battle, we already had our attack planned. What you didn't know was that the 'secrecy' of our plans was compromised when they were found out by this _pest_ here. I captured her for the second time, and I imprisoned her after carefully determining that no one but her knew of the plan. She had hinted to the Minister about her knowledge, wanting money for an exchange. But before he could accept the deal I Confounded him and he remembered an 'urgent appointment'." She took a breath, letting her audience absorb the news.

"So what I propose, and I'm speaking to you too Rita," she said, glaring at the beetle in the jar, "what I propose is a Wizard Oath on your part. We give you a story, a BIG story, your FINAL story, though it won't be a dirty one for the Order but for the Ministry itself. In return you will swear a Wizard's Oath to retire after the current situation is over with. If it takes months, then you will work directly for us for that time, as long as it takes to stop this injustice. You will be completely loyal to the Order of the Phoenix, and to all decent wizards really. I know your life has been one as a reporter, but it will stop when the changes are made. In return we will not keep you imprisoned for the rest of your life as a beetle in a jar on my mantle. We will also help you find another way to make a living, but nothing remotely related to journalism. You will also not reveal what has been agreed upon if you accept this deal."

She turned to the shocked faces of her friends. They were all busy processing this turn of events, so it took them a minute before Remus finally spoke up. "So you think this would work, that we bring this whole ordeal into the open for all the wizarding world to see?" He turned to Minerva and Arthur, wanting to hear their opinions of this plan.

Minerva pursed her lips as she addressed Hermione. "I cannot believe your behaviour, Miss Granger. You should have at least informed us of this pest! What made you think you had the ultimate right of placing this _pest_ on your own mantle—do Muggle families not teach you to share?" She had said this so seriously that no one could breathe for the laughter that ensued.

When they all finally caught their breath, Arthur spoke for the first time. "I think your plan could work. If we word the oath just right and she really follows through, then it could work. The wizarding world would revolt against the Minister in a heartbeat if the famed Rita Skeeter broke such a story. But the planning is crucial. We need to write down the oath for her to read, word for word. Let's get Moody here to watch her closely once we let her transform; we don't want her to get loose. Hermione, get us some quills and parchment. Remus, summon Moody. Minerva, start thinking of an ironclad way to word the oath. I'm going to make some good, strong tea and toast for Miss Skeeter, for as oath as long as this will be, she'll need some strength for the amount of magic it will take out of her."

Everyone went to work, getting things together for the oath-taking. They all agreed to keep it between them and Moody. They couldn't afford to miss this chance. It was their only hope at this point.

* * *

Rita Skeeter looked horrible. Her clothing was rumpled, her hair in an array of knots instead of her trademark golden curls. She glanced nervously at Moody as he stood next to her, wand pointed and ready. She was the picture of a person who had been humbled.

"So, you're telling me that for my freedom I'll have to pledge myself to you and give up the only thing that makes me happy?" she asked, looking at Hermione in real fear.

"Miss Skeeter, can you honestly say that the job you've been doing makes you happy? Slandering people's names, ruining their lives? Nearly losing us the war? Do you not comprehend that who you are, what you've done, and what you were willing to do was just another form of evil? You could have cost us the war! Voldemort had the Ministry in his pocket—we would have lost! He would be in control of the wizarding world!" Hermione said heatedly, now pacing the room instead of really hurting the rumpled blonde woman.

Rita was taken aback. In being honest with herself, she hadn't thought of the consequences of her actions. Only the big story had been on her mind. She sat there quietly, looking at her hands. "You're right, my actions were beyond forgiveness. I will take this oath. But I'm concerned about what I can possibly do now. I've only ever wanted to be a writer. I've known nothing else. What will I do?" she asked, her voice sounding weak.

Minerva leaned forward and refilled Rita's cup of tea for the third time before speaking. "I know of something that you could do. If I remember correctly, you scored quite high on your N.E.W.T.s in Herbology. Pomona Sprout was, sadly, killed during the final battle, and I've been putting off hiring a new Herbology Professor and Head of House for Hufflepuff. If you want it, the job is yours on a one-year trial basis. If after that time it doesn't work out, I'll help you find something else to suit you. I will do that because if our plan works you will have saved hundreds of lives and instigated the biggest upheaval in the Ministry in hundreds of years. You would have helped us put decent people into power at the Ministry. Would you like to think on it, perhaps?" Minerva asked her.

Rita looked taken aback. The love of plants was the only other thing she had ever done before. Her apartment in Diagon Alley was filled with hundreds of plants. She actually had a house-elf whose sole responsibility was the care of her plants. To be offered this job was an honour, especially coming from someone she had harmed with her written words numerous times. "I would be honoured. If I can't write, I'd love to be more involved in Herbology. I accept," she said, a small smile gracing her face. "So, let's get this oath over with. If I understand correctly, we're under time constraints for this plan to work. It takes time to prepare a bold article," she said, eager to get started on her final piece.

* * *

**A/N: Whew… I got to say I've just surprised myself. I've officially changed the rest of my outline for this fic, but I'm loving this new turn. I can't wait to write more for it! Sorry it's a little shorter than usual, but this was definitely the place to end this chapter! I hope you enjoy it as much… Please read and review! HUGS**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Will Power and Truth

* * *

**

While Minerva, Arthur, Rita, and he started going over the details of the whole "Anti-Werewolf" campaign, Hermione left them suddenly, heading for the workbench on the other side of the room. She pulled out her latest work journal, and several potion-making tomes from the shelves. She began to write furiously, a look of utter excitement on her face.

As they were discussing the soon-to-be aftermath of the Ministry of Magic, Hermione was struck with a possible brilliant way to combat a problem they were sure to come up against. As with the ending of the first war, many witchs and wizards were found to be, or claimed to be, under the Imperius Curse as a result of their actions. Off and on Hermione had researched as much as she could about it, hoping to come up with a way to really tell if someone had been subjected to the Imperius. She had always had an inkling of a solution at the tip of her mind, but she had thus far never been able to realize it. Until now. The possible solution to a very large problem finally released itself into her consciousness.

_If this works it will make a marked difference in the questioning of possible Death Eaters and anyone who is suspect of casting an Imperi__us__ on a fellow __w__itch or __w__izard! _she thought to herself as she pulled out a cauldron and started mixing some of the potion ingredients. She barely registered the fact that the others were done with their meeting and Rita was leaving with Minerva to Hogwarts, where she would be staying secretly until the ambush on the Death Camp the following day. Arthur hung back for a moment, curious as the rest of them, and both he and Remus walked over to see what was up the sleeve of the excited brown-eyed witch.

"Hermione, love, what's got you looking so thrilled? I would think you'd be a little nervous or angry since we can't be there to help tomorrow, except here you are smiling. What are you planning?" Remus asked her as both he and Arthur approached the bench and tried to get a look at what she was doing.

"Remus, darling…I just had an epiphany. I think I may have solved the Imperius problem once and for all!"

"Do you really? Tell us!" Arthur said, excited at the mere prospect.

"I think that if you combine the right kind of spell with the Veritaserum, you can create a potion that will undo an Imperius Curse on anyone. It just came to me. The Imperius Curse leaves an effect similar to…how do I describe it…the flu?" At Arthur's curious look, she went on to explain. "Muggles get sick quite often, with colds and flus, if they don't take care of themselves. Have you heard of viruses or germs?" When he nodded that he had, she continued explaining. "Basically you can almost compare it to a flu. You catch this virus. Except that with the Imperius, it affects the mind. If you think of it in that way, you can also see the answer to the problem. If you give your mind the medicine to fight it, the effect will break and you'll be in full health again. Are you with me?" Remus and Arthur both nodded, virtual lights turning on over their heads as they understood what she meant. She went on.

"Now, I think if we cast the right spell, namely a spell that boosts a person's will power, and cast it on the Veritaserum potion, the two combined – if it works – will remove even the most powerful Imperius. I mean, Veritaserum in itself is made to force the truth out of anyone. But no one to my knowledge has ever thought to combine it with something like a will power spell. Yes, I know there's really no such thing as a Will Power spell, per se, but I think it won't be hard to make one. There are some spells that are used to help lift people's moods, helping them stay awake longer. If I research the origins of these spells and understand the concepts, I think I may be able to combine several spells to create a Will Power Spell!" she finished excitedly.

Remus beamed at her, loving her even more just for her sheer brilliance. He knew that hundreds of wizards had debated for years over possible countercurses for the Imperius Curse. Yet it was a brilliant Muggle-born witch who might have finally solved this longstanding problem.

Arthur spoke up while Remus stood there smiling like a lovesick puppy. "That's wonderful, Hermione, I think you may be onto it! Do you need any books to help you? Any ingredients? I can fetch them right away. The sooner we have a countercurse, the better."

"As a matter of fact, if you could get me the rest of my books from storage I think I might have just what I need to figure it all out. Oh, and I'll need as many bottles of Veritaserum as possible," she said absently as she started scribbling away again. She stopped and looked up suddenly, a frown on her face. "How will we test it, though? I mean, we don't know what side effects it could possibly have…."

Remus finally spoke up this time. "Test it on me. I don't mind. Besides, it will be safer, me being a werewolf, than with a normal wizard. We have stronger constitutions against spells and potions."

"Remus, no! It's not safe. Maybe this isn't good idea…."

"Hermione, how about I bring you a few rats or something to try it on first? If it works out okay on them, then you can let Remus be your guinea pig. He did volunteer," Arthur replied with a smile.

Hermione smirked at the irritated look on Remus's face after the "guinea pig" remark, but nodded in agreement. With that settled, Arthur left to fetch the books and as much Veritaserum as he could get his hands on. Hermione gave Remus a quick kiss on the cheek before she went back to her research, and Remus sat in a chair to enjoy the view of the witch he loved so much.

* * *

Severus came out of his chair the moment Arthur walked through the door to headquarters. He followed closely as Arthur went upstairs. Severus wondered what was going on, as Arthur walked into the room where Hermione stayed when she was present. He watched Arthur conjure a box and start packing away the array of books that lined the shelf. "Arthur, where is Minerva? I thought I saw the two of you leave together. I need to speak with her," Severus said as he watched Arthur magically seal the box and start filling up another one.

"She left to interview someone for Pomona's old position. She said it had waited long enough, and she's found someone she thinks may suit the job," Arthur replied as he started in on yet another box.

"How odd; she hasn't mentioned it to me. Very well. Where were you two? I noticed you left after receiving an owl…now you're packing Hermione's things. What's going on?" Severus asked, trying to read Arthur's thoughts, but he was denied as the other man refused to look him in the eye. It did help that Arthur was so busy with packing the books carefully, he wasn't able to look at Snape.

"We received an owl from Hermione; she was getting a little antsy about Moody not showing up yet tonight. So we decided to go and fill her and Remus in on the situation. Hermione was trying to convince us to let them go with us on the raid. But with a little pushy persuasion, we convinced her to stay there. I agreed to bring her the rest of her books to give her something to do in the mean time. She has several ideas that she thinks could keep her busy enough that she won't go crazy with cottage fever…so to speak," Arthur replied easily, surprise at how natural and true-sounding it was.

Severus snorted in response, knowing well how irritating Hermione could be if she wasn't busy with her nose stuck in one of her precious books. He turned around and started for the door, intent on forgetting such thoughts of irritating Gryffindors. "Please convey my wish to Minerva, to speak with her when she returns," he said, not even waiting to receive confirmation of his "request".

* * *

Minerva ushered Rita into the room. They had arrived at Hogwarts, and with Rita under a Disillusionment Charm they had nearly raced through the halls to the tower that housed most of the staff's private rooms. This room was a bit larger than some because it was the room reserved for the Head of Hufflepuff House. There were not one but three fireplaces in the large living room: one that had direct access to the Herbology Office on the grounds, one that had access to the Hufflepuff dormitory, and one that had access to the staff break room.

Minerva showed Rita around and explained that the Floos would not be working until this whole fiasco was over. That way no one would be able to enter…unless it was Minerva herself. Rita smiled gratefully and thanked her new boss as she was led to her private office. After a quick farewell, Rita settled herself in and grabbed a piece of parchment and a normal quill. She had an article to put together – her last. And she was determined that not only would it be her best ever, but also one that spoke of her redemption. With a deep breath and a heavy heart she set out to write an article that could very well change the Wizarding World as they knew it.

* * *

It was in the middle of the night, hours after Arthur had delivered the books, that Remus awoke from the chair where he had fallen asleep. He yawned and stretched his arms and noticed upon opening his eyes that Hermione was still working. He looked at the clock on the mantle and shook his head. She had been at it for nine hours. "Hermione?" he said as he pulled himself out of the chair and approached the workbench. "You should really give it a break. You can't possibly finish this tonight. How about you get a few hours of sleep and then continue with the work?" he said, coming up behind her and starting to massage her neck.

"You're right, I guess it can wait till tomorrow," she said tiredly, a little moan escaping her lips as he massaged a knot out of her neck. "Let's get some sleep, but not too much. There's still a lot to do here," she replied.

Remus smiled to himself as he turned her around and kissed her deeply, leaving her with weak knees that had her clinging to him to stay upright. "Yes, let's go to bed, love," he replied huskily as he started walking her backward toward the bedroom door. She stopped him and kissed him until they were both breathless, her body pressed tightly against his.

As she pulled her face away she smiled at the look that was on his face after her kiss. "I'll race you," she said as she turned and ran through the doorway, Remus laughing at her heels.

They made love several times before finally falling into an exhausted but euphoric sleep. Remus had a thought that he had forgotten something, a thought that floated on his mind as he fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Minerva and Rita awoke early the next morning, both of them preparing for the raid. They were going to go earlier than everyone else so that Minerva could help Rita find the perfect place to sit and watch the scene that would unfold, without being discovered.

* * *

The Order of the Phoenix was abuzz with excitement, and just a little bit of the normal "pre-battle" jitters. They were broken up into attack groups, each one arriving at strategic places surrounding the Death Camp, in hopes that they could capture all of the guards and Ministry officials without any escaping. Severus was assigned the job of creating an impenetrable Anti-Apparation shield over the entire area after he received confirmation that all the attack groups were in position. The few members who served as the Order Healers were gathering supplies and Portkeys into Ever-Expanding Valises. They were to stay behind their respective groups and immediately use Portkeys to send the able-bodied injured back to Headquarters, where a few of the more experienced Healers were setting up the HQ's Emergency Room. For anyone who could not be moved, they were preparing the necessary supplies that would stabilize the injured for transport.

The final group among them were assigned the arduous and dangerous task of helping all of the "prisoners" to a safe haven they had prepared for them. It was an old abandoned warehouse hundreds of miles away that was set up with hundreds of bunk beds and the necessary precautions for keeping them safe during the full moon.

They all listened closely as the plan was gone over two more times, making sure that everyone knew it by heart. They had one chance at this, and they refused to fail at it. Arthur stayed quiet as he prepared himself for the task of helping the prisoners to safety. No one noticed the excitement he felt. The majority of the Order thought today was a day to hit the Ministry with a blow. But they didn't know about Rita Skeeter. He and Minerva knew that if today worked out, this entire Ministry vs. Werewolf conflict could be over for good.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this update! More should come soon...Please read and review! HUGS**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15 - Breaking News From Me, Myself and I**

* * *

Hermione waved her wand at the rat in front of her. "Imperio!" she exclaimed. She directed the rat like she would a person, asking it to "Turn in a circle, please. Good. Now do a back flip. Good boy!" she said to the rat. Remus chuckled at her antics; only Hermione would Imperio a rat and say please when controlling it. He watched her closely as she carefully practiced her new wand movements one last time. With a nod of her head she pointed her wand at a small cauldron of Veritaserum and said clearly, " Wyllan Und Tru Natura Praevalere Ofer Imperio!" Which basically translated from Old English as "Will and true self prevail over Imperio".

The cauldron glowed a brilliant blue for a moment before the light faded and all that was left was what looked like regular Veritaserum. Hermione picked up an eyedropper, suctioned a drop of the Anti-Imperio Veritaserum, and squeezed the drop into the blurry-eyed rat's mouth. Remus watched in amazed wonder as the dazed look on the rat's face disappeared and the rat started to squeak frantically as it ran around in its box, looking desperately for an escape route. "Hermione, I think you did it!"

Hermione pointed her wand at the rat again and said, "Do another back flip, please," but the rat didn't. He was simply a normal rat that was trying to escape when caught. Hermione smiled and threw her arms around Remus.

"It worked! Now all we have to do is test it out on you to make sure the spell is strong enough for people!"

Remus pulled back far enough to see her face when he replied, "Just as long as you don't ask me to do any back flips! Just ask me to touch my finger to my nose or something." He side-stepped a playful slap before he braced himself for the Imperio she cast on him.

* * *

Severus swallowed the entire phial of his own Rejuvenate Potion, which immediately stopped the shaking and the sensation that he might actually pass out. He had just cast the Anti-Apparation wards successfully. His vision clear again, he watched as the assault began. He checked his watch and smiled to himself as he imagined the look on Remus and Hermione's faces when the Minister and his men showed up this evening and captured them. All was going according to plan.

But as he looked back up to see what was going on before he "joined" the fight, it was his own face that showed shock. Right in the middle of the battle the Minister himself and his little side-kick were in the middle of having their hands tied together, along with all of the Minister's men that ran the death camp. The battle was over and it seemed that the Minister was under civil arrest.

_Damn it! _Severus thought furiously as his mind shifted gears from celebration to wondering how he could keep his freedom.

* * *

Rita Skeeter stood quietly at the large window. Only an hour ago she had handed her final article over to Headmistress McGonagall; the last and by far best written article of her career. Despite how proud she was of herself and her "turn-around", she still had a lot to atone for. Hermione's earth-shaking words still echoed in her head. She could have been responsible for the Dark Lord prevailing over all. She shivered as the thought washed over her for the hundredth time since she had "wakened" after hearing them. She shook her head and left the window for her new desk. Minerva had already given her the ideal lesson plans for each year level. _I might as well get started on learning the syllab__i_, she thought as she fought to clear her mind of such horrible thoughts.

She pulled out the syllabus for first years and started to read and make notes. All the while, in the back of her mind, she wondered if her last great article would actually help at all.

* * *

Minerva breathed a little easier as she hid at the mouth of the alley across from the Ministry entrance. The majority of _Daily Prophets _were delivered to their readers, but those that were bought in person were usually purchased by the witches and wizards who lived and worked near this bustling part of Diagon Alley. A large, gleaming newsstand with several attendants was hardly visible as the shocking issue was nearly fought over by the news- and gossip-hungry mob. News had obviously spread of the allegations against the Ministry. Minerva smiled smugly as she witnessed the Ministry officials trying to stop the sales, but the mob was too much for the seven wizards who tried desperately to confiscate the papers. Just before she Apparated away to join the battle that would happen in a few moments, she wondered how long it would take before the "mass reaction" took place, whether for good or bad. Hopefully good, for all of their sakes.

* * *

Arthur smiled happily at Hermione as he shrank the box of phials Hermione had made for the Order. "This will definitely come in handy! We've got the situation at the camp under control, and thanks to this stuff we can find out what's wrong with the Minister. He's been acting strange ever since we captured him," Arthur exclaimed.

"Well, I tested it thoroughly on Remus and I must say, it was nice to hear what he really thought about me…after he performed a few acrobatics that I'm sure he never knew he could do before," she replied cheekily.

"I told you not to do that. After the moon tonight you're in for it, missy!" Remus replied in a mock-heated voice.

Arthur smiled at the two and with a pop, he was gone to administer the altered Veritaserum on the captured Ministry officials.

* * *

Severus sat in his chair with a snifter of Firewhisky and contemplated his next move. If the Minister was brought down, the other camps would be too. He got up and started to pace, a portion of his Firewhisky spilling over the side at the sudden movement. That's when he heard the knock at the door. Suddenly he knew what was about to happen and he didn't care. _Let them do whatever they want to me, I will have vengeance!_ he thought furiously as he opened the door with a flick of his wand before dropping it to the floor as instructed by Mad-Eye Moody.

"You're coming with me, you cruel bastard. We know all about your Imperio and what you planned to do to Remus and Hermione. Now move!" Moody said forcefully. He flicked his wrist and smiled as he watched the ropes wrap tightly around Severus's upper body.

* * *

**ME, MYSELF & I **_**EXCLUSIVE!**_

**by Rita Skeeter**

_**Ministry Behind Werewolf Imprisonment & Executions!**_

_**Sensational, I know! But it's true! Within this article is the shocking proof that our Minister of Magic and his co-conspirators are responsible for the outrageous, hideous, cruel imprisonments and executions of our fellow witches and wizards who are cursed with Lycanthropy. **_

_**I first learned of these events several nights ago. I was shocked and disgusted to learn that the Ministry were willing to go to such brutal lengths to cover their own backsides, while claiming victory that was not theirs. It is due to the brave Order of the Phoenix that we live in a Dark Lord-free world today. The Ministry would have us all believe that it is due to their efforts that we are free when in truth, we would have been rid of the Dark Lord a long time ago if it weren't for the Ministry interfering with the Order's work. And now to top off their stupidity, the Ministry is stooping so low as to blame our true Heroes—the Order and their allies, the Werewolf communit, for their "near failure". It may seem sensational, but I say again, it's true! I witnessed it firsthand earlier today.**_

_**After stoking the anger of the easily fooled populace, the Ministry started to bring in any and all Werewolves, "questioning" them under the belief that they were arresting those who had hindered their work. In truth they have gone far beyond mere questioning and straight to imprisoning and executing fellow witches and wizards, just because they are cursed. If asked, Ministry officials claim to have imprisoned only those who are guilty, but I have seen the pictures and Pensieve memories of those who have been helping to hide our cursed citizens. Those who are lucky enough to merely be imprisoned are worked to the bone in camps where there is hardly any food and just the bare ground for the few hours of rest they are permitted. They are beaten badly and regularly if they don't work fast enough at the various hard jobs put to them. Those who cannot keep up are transferred to the death camp to join the others that the Ministry murders in cold blood. **_

_**Witches, wizards, and their children. Anyone who is cursed and found on the run is sent to their death. Those who are well known to be cursed are sent to their deaths. It is a sad excuse for those who fear "half-breeds" to finally be able to eradicate those they fear, thanks to the Minister himself. **_

_**So why, if what the Ministry claims is true, do they lie and not reveal their real actions? There is no excuse except fear for their own jobs, their own hateful jealousy for those who did the job they never could. **_

_**Now I know I'm not known for such "honest" articles. I know I have never been truly fair to those I have written about. But upon seeing the proof of these atrocious events, I am no longer the "Me, Myself & I" columnist you all know. There comes a time in one's life when you wake up and see the error of your ways, and the errors of others. This is such a time for me. My last article. I will miss you all, and I know it comes as a shock that I would leave this job I have loved so much. But after becoming aware of the Ministry's actions I could not bear to be a pawn in their cruelty for a moment longer. Their evil has awakened me. I only hope it does the same for you. So I leave you now with this plea: **_

_**STOP THE MINISTER AND HIS COHORTS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE FOR OUR POOR CURSED FELLOW WITCHES AND WIZARDS!! **_

__

**Below are pictures taken from inside the camps themselves. You be the judge.**

* * *

Hours after they had enjoyed chasing each other through the "forest", Moony lay awake as he watched his were-witch sleep. He had smelled it immediately after they had transformed, but he still couldn't decide what to say to her about it. She didn't act as if she suspected, but soon enough she would be in no doubt about the situation.

Moony smiled as he sniffed the air again. He loved knowing she was carrying his child. He knew tomorrow would be the perfect time to propose. He hoped they could get married soon so as not to leave people with a bad impression of Hermione. If they married soon enough, no one would be the wiser about the date she had conceived.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this update, more to come soon, I promise! Please read and REVIEW!!**


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